


Surprise For A Feral

by CanuckleheadCowgirl



Series: The 906 Universe [1]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: 906 Universe, F/M, Gen, Ignoring crap that pisses me off, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lots of OC's, No need to fact check - new universe, Threats, Violence, implied - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 20:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 133,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanuckleheadCowgirl/pseuds/CanuckleheadCowgirl
Summary: Welcome to my alternate reality branched off of and inspired by the 616 comicverse.When a black ops group with no sense of humor and no boundaries starts picking up wandering mutants, the X-Men intervene. Follow the twists and turns of one of three women that are rescued - and the fallout from that rescue.





	1. Have You Met K?

**Author's Note:**

> This work is cross posted in several sites, FFN for one - same pen name - Same title. I'm currently re-working this story and will put it up in snippets and bits as I get it a little more ... polished than it has been in the past.

 

 

* * *

The three women had been travelling together for some time. Longer than they had thought, truth be told. Chloe and Zoe were sisters, separated by less than a year. They'd bumped into K not long into their trip. She'd gotten them out of a tough spot and for some reason, she let the sisters stick with her as she moved through the forests and countryside. The girls had grown to depend on her. She'd shown them more about survival and hiding in the first week they'd been together than Chloe and Zoe had managed to learn since before they'd left their familial home until they'd met her.

K, however, didn't know how long she'd been moving anymore, and the girls thought that they were doing her some kind of favor just for being with her. But the truth was that for K, having two teenage girls with no street sense dragging behind her had made her moving undetected nearly impossible. She felt an odd sense of responsibility for them though that kept her from ditching them, even when it got too hot. She had pulled their chestnuts out of the fire more times than they could count.

Ultimately, the woman was a  _survivor_ in every sense of the word, and was easily the most tenacious person either had ever met. She dragged them along with her, keeping them safe from the men chasing them. Both the group that was after the girls - which, K had to admit were easy enough to evade - and the group chasing K, which so far, they hadn't come across. Up to that point, it had been a matter of evasion and hiding. It would remain that way too for the foreseeable future at least until it got a little colder, and though K could find her way in the cold wilderness, she knew the girls wouldn't be able to hack it. She hadn't come up with a solid plan on what to do with them yet, but she would.

It was one of the rare mornings that one of the girls was on watch when Chloe decided she just couldn't take the rough lifestyle that they were living. She snuck off while K slept to get herself a coffee from a Starbucks that they'd spotted as they tried to skirt away from the little town they were travelling past. When the teenager got up to pay she realized she didn't have the cash on her, but the smells drifting out of the cafe had called to her, and her mouth watered thinking of the pumpkin latte with her name on it.

It would break one of K's cardinal rules, but ultimately, temptation won out.

She handed the cashier the credit card her parents had sent her off with for emergencies. On the hike back to camp, she did everything that K had taught her about moving undetected, and was doing a fine job of it too. She was proud of herself and how much she'd learned, and the fact that she'd brought a rare treat to her sister and their protector. The full fall colors around her just raised her spirits more as she slipped through the beautiful trees on the way to their hiding spot.

When she returned to their little camp almost an hour later, baked goods in hand for all, the smell woke K from her rest. Alarmed, her eyes popped open and she sat bolt upright before she glared between the two girls. "Where did you get the money for that?" she asked them, hoping that they weren't so stupid to go against her rules. Not  _now_. Not when they'd gotten so far. Her heart fell when she realized that she didn't need them to answer. The guilty look on Chloe's face was more than enough. K groaned at the realization, her shoulders dropping as her whole body expressed her displeasure. They had been doing so well.

K's jaw locked and she snatched the wallet off the young woman and rifled through it until she found the card and snapped it into pieces, swearing at herself for trusting the girl to keep to her word before she moved quickly and slipped on her backpack. " _Move_. We have to get as far away from here as possible  _now_ ," K growled, throwing their packs at both of them.

Hastily, Zoe did as she was told, though she grumbled to herself about crazy brunettes in the wild. It was clear that the girls didn't understand  _why_ K was so irritated. Chloe even thought the woman was insane. She crossed her arms, ready to start complaining about K breaking the card when overhead a helicopter's wash rustled the leaves above and caused the little woman to instinctively crouch. It continued on, black and menacing and not a half mile away it started its silent descent in an open field, under cover of trees, and out of plain sight of the town nearby. K pointed toward it as it landed.

"You see  _that_. That's what you just did.  _That_ is what  _I've_ been avoiding." Her voice was uncharacteristically shaky as she spoke. The sisters were rightfully humbled and honestly terrified. Of all the times they'd dodged the men looking for the sisters, never had they seen that kind of a show of force.

Chloe started to blubber an apology, but K just shoved her backpack at her again and told her to keep quiet, suck it up, and move fast. They had trouble keeping up with her as she wove through the trees, deeper into the woods and away from the little town.

The girls had gotten better at this, but K made it look easy. Every now and then, she'd stop and stretch out as tall as her little 5'2" frame would allow. She would close her eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. Sometimes after such a display, they would change directions as she told the girls to get lower into the dried and shriveling ferns.

They'd gone several miles through the woods when they came on a clearing that was obviously a dairy farm. She made them skirt the field until they were somewhat close to the large barn then she gave a silent hand signal and they sprinted to across the field to slip into the barn unseen.

She led the girls into the hay loft and started to re-arrange hay bales. "It doesn't matter what you did, it matters what you do now. They are coming. We're not far enough away to make a clean break, and it's all farms for the next fifty miles, maybe more. Not  _nearly_ enough cover to run during daylight from these people, and it'll be hours before dark. Get in the hay." She ordered them as she showed them a small cave she'd made. The girls shared a glance and followed her directions immediately.

"Whatever you do – whatever happens Do  _not_ come out. Remember what I taught you." She took off her backpack and pushed it in with them. "Hide until they're gone. You have food and water for at least three days. Stay here until it's safe, then go. Got it?" They looked at her wide eyed as she turned her head toward the direction of the field they'd just passed through, clearly peeking through the cracks in the old barn as she looked outside.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Zoe asked, suddenly alarmed at the thought of going on without their guide. It was unimaginable. But K didn't reply. She simply started stacking the bales up to hide the girls a little better before she froze and give them her signal to be quiet. In the makeshift cave the girls' realized that it was very likely that their protector was about to try for a diversion ... to save them.

K padded silently across the loft, nearer to the outer wall. As she peeked between the cracks, she spotted a few black ops soldiers skirting the far edge of the hay field, several hundred yards west of where they'd come out of the woods. She held her breath as she watched them move, hoping they'd turn the wrong way. Of course they didn't. On seeing they their trajectory, she just locked her jaw knowing that they were moving towards the barn fast. She silently slipped out of the hay loft and found a shovel - the only available near weapon in sight.

The handful of cows in the barn ignored her as they chewed their cuds, and went about their business. She found what she hoped would be a good ambush to the most likely entrance to the barn as the soldiers advanced. The girls were peeking out of the crack that K had left them and could barely see her at the door, shovel in hand, ready to throw down as soon as one of those men took a step into the barn. She didn't have long to wait.

With a loud clang, the shovel left an impression on the first man through the door. As he hit the floor, the two men behind him rushed her. One wrenched the shovel from her hands as the other tackled her to the ground. She swung barefisted at him as if it was a bar room brawl, all elbows and knees as she tried to get him off of her. She fought hard but the man she'd hit with the shovel recovered quickly and rose to his feet as another grabbed her arms. He twisted her arms, which made her cry out as they pinned her on the ground.

She struggled, kicking and screaming as they flipped her over so one could sit on her stomach, punching her over and over while the second held her hands down until she'd passed out. There was swearing and a few unnecessary blows as they began to work fast. Once she was unconscious, they pulled her hands behind her back and handcuffed her before they snapped a collar into place around her neck.

In a matter of minutes, more men filed in to start their search of the barn while the first group began thoroughly searching K, unconscious and bleeding. The girls trembled in fear as they watched the rough treatment K got. One of them took his time patting her down and grumbled about 'filthy muties', though he didn't seem to have a problem pawing at her.

As they watched, more men filed in ... they were bound to find them. Fear gripped Chloe ... she just stared at her terrified sister, wide eyed, shaking ... and Zoe mouthed to her we should fight too.

They waited as long as they could, their adrenaline rushing before the girls burst out of their haystack. Zoe blasted her shockwaves ahead of her, and Chloe commanded the barns residents ... unfortunately, mostly rats, mice and cows to attack the men. Their fight didn't last long. The girls were shot with darts, and handcuffed before any of men were down, or even injured.

K had started to come around as they were dragging the three of them out of the barn. She looked towards the unconscious sisters, and her heart fell. These girls didn't deserve this. She never should have tried to keep them with her. What lay ahead for them was all her fault and the guilt was more than she was ready to shoulder. Far too late she realized that rather than let them tag along, she should have tried to call one of those places that took in lost & homeless mutants. All at once, tears began to fall of their own accord as she thought about what was next for the pretty little teenagers, foggy, fractured memories of places she'd seen flitted across her mind's eye, causing her further upset.

"Look at that, boys," One of the soldiers commented with an amused tone. "She does have some emotion to her. What's wrong, princess? You upset we caught up to you finally?" Shaking, she couldn't answer but to growl. He chuckled and hauled her onto her knees by her hair so she could watch as they took the teenagers into custody.

The soldiers had the two girls tossed over their shoulders like sacks of potatoes, and two more men moved in to drag K by her elbows with her hands cuffed behind her back. She was stumbling along, dazed and bleeding from the beating they'd given her. Several unmarked panel vans and a couple humvees pulled up near the barn as the men dragged her across the field.

When she saw the Humvees, panic hit her freshly and she started to struggle harder, digging her feet into the soft dirt, she pulled back as hard as she could. But the two men were much bigger and stronger than her and after a brief struggle, and her wild attempt to bite one, they threw her to the ground. One jammed his knee at the back of her head, forcing her face into the freshly tilled partly wet dirt until she quit fighting so hard.

She was gasping for air when he finally let her up with a chuckle. "That'll teach you to fight me," the soldier whispered harshly. Again, they got into place to move her. Instead of fighting her to walk they simply picked her up and carried her with one soldier holding her feet and another at each of her elbows. As they opened the doors to the vans, the winds picked up tremendously.

She looked up towards the darkening sky – wondering what the hell a harrier was doing in the middle of a cow pasture. Only, the sleek black jet didn't really look like anything she'd ever seen. It's shape was all wrong.

Without any further warning, the men around her started to shout and opened fire on the aircraft. The unconscious girls were forgotten momentarily, as the men carrying K dropped her face down in the dirt once more. When she rolled over and tried to stand, one of the men that had been holding her caught the movement from the corner of his eye and bashed her in the shoulder using the back of his rifle with all of his strength. She had no real recourse as the man hit her. She turned onto her side and kicked out, catching the soldier in the knee and dropping him. She tried to get to her feet, but he grabbed her leg and pulled it out from under her. Gunfire rang out around them as the wind whipped up more. She managed to get onto her knees and turned just in time to catch the butt of the rifle as it came down on her temple and for K, the world simply went black.


	2. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little time has passed, and K wakes up to find herself in what seems to be friendly territory. Time will tell for sure, but there's no reason to jump to conclusions yet. Right?

 

* * *

K woke up slowly - groggy and aching everywhere. She heard beeping near where she was laying. She was flat on her back, her hands at her sides. She didn't feel any restraints, but she still didn't move a muscle, or open an eye. She tried to keep her breathing even and slow. She could still feel the collar around her neck. She flexed her hands and legs to test and see if she was restrained. She was shocked to find that in fact, she was not. That in and of itself was stunning, and also in its own right, terrifying.

She cracked an eye open as easy and slow as she could and was not surprised in the least with what she found. A lab.  _Fantastic_. Her luck didn't ever seem to go to the positive. She didn't know who had her. Or where she was. Or what this group wanted. Or who would be bad enough to put her in a bed unrestrained. Or - were the girls there too? That was enough to prompt her to get past her wariness. She had to know if they were alright.

She threw back the fear of what was sure to come and she opened her eyes fully and looked around. She was virtually alone. The girls were not anywhere near, and though she had hoped to see them, she didn't expect them to be anywhere near her. Just meant she'd have to hunt them down when she broke out.

Far to her left, and a fair distance away, was a very furry blue man in a lab coat, and a tall redheaded woman.  _What did the Department promise that blue fella to have him experimenting on his own?_  She thought. As if she'd shouted it, the pair looked up at her suddenly - shock was written all over the woman's face.

"Hello," the blue creature started as he began to slowly walk toward her. "You can call me Hank. Welcome. You seem to be in good health, in spite of the fact that you've apparently been wandering the forest for a while. We are trying to get that collar off of you, but to be honest, it's not one we've seen before, and we're erring on the side of caution for now. Aside from the black eye and bruised shoulder, how do you feel?" He spoke in a rush and as he finished, he pulled a small flashlight from his lab coat and began to shine it in her eyes, nodding to himself at his findings. K stared at him for a moment, confused.

"What are you going to do to me?" K asked slowly and quietly, but with a bit of an edge to her voice.

" _To_  you? Oh, no, my dear. We aren't like that. We want to help you. This is a safe haven for the genetically gifted. We provide shelter and sustenance, medical intervention, if that's what you need. We can help you to hone your abilities if you like, and as I stated earlier – remove the inhibitor collar that is currently on your neck," Hank said, trying to come across as friendly and ending with a very kind smile. His tone was warm and welcoming, and he didn't seem to be lying, but then again ... for the time being she had no way of knowing.

"I don't need to hone anything," K said, setting both of them back for a moment as she paused. "Where are the two teenagers I was travelling with?" Her tone was stern, almost commanding. If these people were legit like 'Hank' had said, he'd have no trouble telling her about them. She wasn't holding her breath.

"They are, I believe, in a mathematics class at the moment. They had not been hampered with an inhibitor as you were, so they are in full control of their abilities. They seem quite settled in," he told her matter of fact-ly. She looked surprised at the news. Math. She wasn't expecting that at all.

"Settled in," she said thoughtfully to herself. For some reason, she really wanted to believe him. "You're ... you're telling me this is a school?" The two of them nodded as K took them in for a few minutes before asking very cautiously. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days," the red head stated, "We were concerned when you didn't wake up right away. You came in with a mid grade concussion, and your eye still looks really tender from that hit you took." She looked concerned as she reached to readjust the bandage that rested on K's temple. K flinched back from her, and she stopped. The redhead apologized quietly as she pulled her hand back.

The color drained from K's face, and she felt suddenly very sick to her stomach.  _Three days?_ She couldn't ever remember being out of it for that long. Her hands went to her hair as she curled up into herself, drawing her knees to her chest. She ran her hands down the side of her face and down to her neck as she thought it through. Her fingers touched the metal collar that sat right over her voicebox and her throat tightened. Suddenly she felt as if she could vomit. Alarmed, the redhead rushed to her side, and helped her towards a basin.

"Don't panic - we will find a way to get that off. I swear, we're specialists. Just breathe, try to be calm, and let's get you all cleaned up - you'll feel much better after a shower, I'm sure," the woman told her, a friendly smile on her face. K knew the woman was right, but it just sounded insane to her at that moment. She was so used to distrusting everyone that crossed her path, but ... and she couldn't exactly be blamed if she didn't trust the people that had beaten back the Department to scoop her up. There weren't many with the firepower to do that.

K wondered briefly when the last time she even HAD a real shower was. It seemed like all she could remember was taking a swim through a river, lake, or just stripping down in a downpour. Yeah, that really sounded  _great_  the more she thought about it: hot water ... soap. K took a deep cleansing breath, and nodded her head, still holding her reservations about these people since she couldn't definitively tell if they were lying to her yet. After all, someone being nice often turned into someone torturing her in one way or another. She'd had more than enough of that. But she  _did_ need the collar off, and they said they could do that.

"Thanks," K replied quietly, still warily looking around the lab and working on an exit strategy. A small, kind smile appeared on the woman's stunningly lovely face.

"You're very welcome. I'm Jean, by the way. Hank is our resident Doctor. We're all mutants here, so you don't need to hide from us. If you need anything at all, please feel free to just let us know. We really do just want to help," She stated softly, gently. "In the meantime, why don't you come with me? I'll get you to a private shower, and find you some clean clothes while everyone is in class, then I can show you around."

K just nodded, still very tired from whatever it was that went down outside that old barn. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. She'd heard of a place like this, but it was a time zone away from where the barn was, and she didn't know if it was anywhere that actually helped, or if it was another bait and switch scenario. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure what state she was in anymore.

"You can use my bathroom, no one will bother you there," Jean promised as she put her hand on K's shoulder, guiding her to the elevator. K's muscles automatically tightened and her chest constricted in nervousness and a general distrust. However, Jean tactfully ignored it and corrected herself, as if she were used to this kind of reaction. She guided K down a hallway, up a grand flight of stairs, and down a second hall to her suite, where she ushered her to the bathroom, and started up the shower.

Jean's room was something out of a hotel brochure. The large four post bed was covered in white fluffy pillows and a downy looking comforter. Two side tables made of cherry sat on either side of the bed ... a lamp on each and a few personal effects. Judging by the contents on the side tables, K quickly guessed that her redheaded host was married, the platinum wedding set she wore was of course a definite tip off. Judging from the various items in the room, she had to assume that her husband was a somewhat athletic man ... if the sneakers near the closet and the men's fitness magazines were any indicator. Jean called for her from the bathroom when the water was hot and K silently stepped in behind her.

"You can take your time," She said. "I should tell you that I'm a telepath, so if you need anything, just sort of shout it in your head and I'll hear it." Jean gaver her a soft smile and closed the door behind her.

 _Where the hell am I anyhow?_  K thought to herself as she looked at the white walls and floors, polished chrome fixtures and a large mirror that covered most of the wall opposite the shower.

She looked around the bathroom for any hidden cameras or panels then she checked the mirror to see if it was really two way glass before stripping off her filthy clothes, and folding them neatly into a stack on a dirty towel before looking into the mirror again.  _What a mess._

"Oh God," K mumbled under her breath. She felt that she looked like Radagast's little sister. Her hair was a tangled filthy disaster with leaves and hay poking out here and there. She couldn't tell where the dirt ended and the bruises began on her skin if not for the area that had been cleaned in the medical bay. She looked to her hands and realized they weren't any better at all. She didn't recognize herself anymore.

Without waiting a moment longer, she grabbed a washcloth off the stack of linens and jumped into the shower to get to work. With her face turned to the water, she closed her eyes and just reveled in it as it cascade down her body. She soaped up the cloth and started washing her face, enjoying the feel of the soap moving the dirt off, even where her face was so tender. She picked up the nearest bottle of shampoo and took a sniff to find it smelled like diluted cologne.  _Must be her husbands' brand_ , she thought as she set the bottle back in its place. It smelled too strongly for her to use at any rate, even if she didn't have full use of her senses. She looked around a moment, and found a comb.  _It would be smart_ , she thought,  _to remove the tangles and debris before trying to do a thing with this hair._  
  
Ten minutes and a fair amount of work later, she was finally lathering up. The scent of flowers surrounded her as she watched the dirt swirl down the drain. She scrubbed every inch of herself at least twice, and ran her hands all over her body and scalp as she searched for ticks – a common hazard of living in the woods.

Hating the idea of having a dirty neck after washing so carefully, she gently slipped the washcloth between the metal collar and her skin. She pulled it back and forth just a bit, then unexpectedly, a white hot blinding pain hit her, and knocked her flat on her back. Just that quickly she was bleeding from the back of her head, and the water was swirling the blood down the drain with the bubbles.

 _Fantastic,_  She thought.  _Dirty neck it will be_. She got up slowly, head pounding as Jean knocked on the door with a stack of clothes in her hands.

"Are you alright? What happened? Did you pass out?"Jean asked, concern clear to hear in her tone. Jean was alarmed and suddenly K felt very stupid and even naive for even trying such a stupid move.

"No, well,  _yeah_ , but I'm fine. I tried to wash under the collar. It was a stupid thing to do and I should have known better," K admitted, rather embarrassed by her idiotic move. K cracked open the shower door and peeked out at Jean so she could see her head "Little bit more bloodied and bruised, but I'll live ... see?" K tried her best to put on a friendly smile as Jean made her way over to see her head. But the redhead simply did a double take on seeing her cleaned up, then frowned and looked at the cut on K's head with a more critical eye. K cringed, sure she looked beat to hell to get such a reaction from the redhead.

"I'm so sorry ... I didn't mean to react that way," she started, shaking her head and staring at K as the little brunette met her gaze. "But frankly - I'm sorry we didn't clean your whole face now ... you're going to fit right in once you heal up."

She continued to stare, and suddenly K wasn't sure what the statuesque woman was talking about. Frowning, she quietly closed the door again, only to stare at the floor as she put the conditioner in her hair for the first time in who knows how long.  _Must look a lot worse than I thought,_  K thought to herself with a frown, trying to simply finish washing up.

"No," Jean laughed and K glanced up, not expecting her to say anything to her. "That's not it, you were just so covered in dirt ... and the girls said you were a mess when you found them … I just wasn't expecting another pretty girl. I don't think they'll recognize you." K could hear the smile in her voice as she continued. "When you get done, feel free to help yourself to anything you'd like - hair products, makeup. My friends are going to be tickled ... this means another shopping trip for your clothes."

K finally laughed a bit, shaking her head. "Well if makeup is a requirement, then … I guess... I'll get right on that."

"There's not … no, I just meant, if you'd like. It's there," Jean replied. "We don't require makeup." She left her to finish up, and K wasted no more time, rushing through the last bit of re-washing. She dried off quickly, towel dried her hair, picked up her mess and then she slipped on the clothes Jean had brought for her.

K was impressed at the woman's estimations. She'd guessed K's sizes pretty closely, though she still had to roll up the legs on the blue jeans. She went over her hair one last time before she slapped it into a haphazard ponytail and finally looked into the mirror and pulled a face at what she saw.

She had  _thought_ that if the right side of her face didn't look like road rash, she could pass as human. But on seeing how bad she really did look, she eighty-sixed the pony tail and parted her long brown hair so it could drape over the bruised portion of her face. Just then, there was a knock at the door. "One second," K called back. "I'm almost done."

"Whenever you're ready, I can take you down stairs. Jean had to teach a class so she'll show you around afterwards. She'd asked me to be sure you get a bite to eat in the meantime." The tall, classically handsome brunette in strange, red sunglasses gave her a lopsided smile as K opened the door.

"I'm Scott, by the way." He held out his hand, waiting for her to take up the friendly gesture. "It was my team that found you and the girls. Sorry I didn't get to introduce myself properly last time, but it got pretty hot for a minute there, and you were unconscious by the time we got you on board." She took his hand gingerly and looked towards his covered eyes.

"Yeah, Thank you. That never should have gotten that far. I never should have let them get that close," she said, sounding a bit self conscious. But that only seemed to get a broader smile out of him.

"No reason to apologize. That group hunts down mutants. Nothing you could have done to stop them from that," Scott replied with a kind smile that K felt she didn't deserve. She released his hand and crossed her arms over her chest. He looked sympathetic as he continued. "Come on - I know you haven't eaten in a few days  _anyhow_."

He led the way to the kitchen and gestured for her to take a seat before he even went so far as to make her a sandwich. He was kind enough to not pick her brain while she ate. Instead, he just kept her quiet company, anticipating what she might need, and just being there, which K was grateful for. When she was done, he informed her that she had an appointment.

"Jean's class doesn't get out for another half hour, but the professor would like to meet with you as soon as possible. He's free now, actually, so if you'd just follow me, he has some questions for you."

Her stomach twisted at the name. _The Professor? That can't be good._  It sounded familiar and very, very bad. She was apprehensive about what was ahead and still didn't really have clue one as to where she was or who these people were. She was growing concerned that there were some less than honorable reasons for them having liberated her and the girls from that black ops group.

It wouldn't be the first time. But still, she held out hope that she was wrong. It was long overdue for her to get a break.


	3. Meetings

 

 

* * *

K padded silently behind Scott as he led her down a long hall with intricate hardwood panels, her heart was pounding and her eyes were darting around the hallway, peeking into any doors that were opened ... several classes were in session, and all of the children inside looked to be paying attention studiously. No one seemed to notice the physically mutated students. That at least put her slightly more at ease. As they reached a tall set of mahogany double doors, a soft voice rang out.

"Please, come in."

Scott smiled at her as he opened one of the doors and gestured for her to go in. He followed her closing the door behind them. Hank was there waiting, seated already, and he was sure to rise to shake K's hand, greeting her as if they'd been old friends.

"I'm glad to see you on your feet, K," the bald man behind the desk started out. "My name is Charles Xavier, and this is our school for gifted youngsters. You and your friends will be quite safe here, I assure you. One of our associates is currently on his way to determine out how best to remove that barbaric device around your neck. Please, have a seat, I've some questions for you." His tone was kind, and had a quality to it that made her relax, so she cautiously sat between Hank and Scott, who held her chair for her before she took a seat. He was trying to be kind, but being flanked by the two of them still didn't do wonders for her trust issues.

_Perfect gentlemen, all of them,_  She thought to herself as she looked at each of them in turn. She felt more than a little out of place with such consideration directed to her after all she'd been through over the years, and all the misery she'd seen.

"Thank you," K whispered to Scott as she sat, back bone straight, knees together, and hands on her knees, like any lady would.

The professor's eyebrows went up as he watched her compose herself. He was clearly used to a younger crowd that hadn't been taught to act like a lady, and from what the two girls had told him already about their time with K in the woods, he simply hadn't expected her to be like this. He smiled kindly at her good manners.

"You aren't as young as you look, are you, K?" he asked gently.

Her mouth opened a bit as she considered her answer. "Is that a compliment or a question?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

Scott and Henry both looked at her with raised eyebrows at her answer.

"Fair enough," Charles replied with a smile. "Please, take it as a complement. Could you tell me, please, what abilities you possess?"

Her eyes flitted to her hands as she tried not to fidget or squirm in her chair. "I ... ah ... I heal quickly- and I've been told I have exceptional senses," K answered slowly.

Scott did a double take at her and opened his mouth to speak before Hank quickly cut in. "Is that all?" Hank asked.

She eyed him suspiciously but didn't reply -  _Why would he expect more? What did he know?_

Scott saw the apprehension she had and decided to try and diffuse the situation. "Can you tell us about your past, or even why that team was after you?" Scott asked, sounding much more businesslike.

K's eyes slowly drifted from Hank to Scott ... clearly she didn't like that he had suspicions. "I don't really like to talk about it. I've been running for a while now, and I tried to help those girls. Before that was a lot of … um. Official? Intervention … but that's not something … no," K replied quietly. She thought perhaps they wouldn't ask more questions if she acted like it wasn't a horrifying experience.

There was a long pause before Charles cautiously looked up and spoke again, choosing his words very carefully. "Would you allow me look into your mind and try to deciper what those men wanted from you?" he asked, watching her body language carefully as she thought it over, shifting in her seat again.

Butterflies rose up into her throat, and before she really thought about it she heard herself agreeing to it, earning a warm smile from Charles.

"Just calm your mind, relax, and concentrate on what you remember. I'll do the rest," he said, raising a hand to her temple.

She took a deep breath, and tried to ignore her apprehension. She closed her eyes and felt a rush as Charles swept through her mind.

She had no idea how long it had taken, but without any warning, she started to feel dizzy. She felt herself lurch forward. When she opened her eyes, she found she was halfway out of her chair, and Scott was holding her by the shoulders. He helped her back to her chair, and when she looked over to Charles, his expression was somber.

He shared a look with Scott, who rose to his feet. It was just then that she realized that Hank was already gone. Charles made his way back around his desk, his fingers tented in deep thought. He looked over to her and tipped his head her way. "'I'm very sorry for all that those people did to you. You are welcome here indefinitely. For protection, a place to recover … whatever you need."

K looked a bit confused, and relieved at once. "That's all?" she asked. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Anger flashed behind his gaze as he drew himself up and met her eyes. "I found a great deal of mistreatment done to you, and sadly it's not the first time I've seen such abuses," he told her frankly.

"So you know … um. How many others are like me?" she asked, her throat feeling tight. She felt like she knew the answer, but it was somewhere far buried in her mind.

"One of our own has been through some very similar mistreatment, though his abuses were unbelievably, worse than you've been subjected to," he replied, steel in his gaze.

It suddenly seemed very clear to her that even though this man was quite gentle and kindhearted, he too, could have a sharp edge to him. She vaguely wondered if it was a trait all mutants were born with, or one they were forced to develop over time. She also wondered what they'd done to their team mate that was so horrid that just the memory of it caused this sweet man to look so hard. As if it had been arranged though, Jean stepped into the room, breaking into her thoughts by her presence.

"I found a room for you," Jean told her with a sedate smile. "You're just down the hall from me if you need anything. It's in the quieter area of the teacher's wing." She gave the professor a warm smile and it seemed as though the two of them shared something between them as she made her way across the room.

K's voice didn't seem to be working right, and after she cleared her throat, she grimly nodded to the professor in thanks, not sure herself if she was unable or unwilling to speak for the time being. She stood and quietly followed Jean out of Charles' office with her head throbbing.

The hallways were filled with teenagers. Noisy, laughing – acting like normal kids - teenagers. K watched them warily, surprised at the sheer volume of them. She automatically scanned the crowd, and as she and Jean passed through it, relief hit her as she spotted the two girls, Chloe and Zoe.

"Wait a minute, Jean," K requested suddenly before calling out to the girls. Their heads popped up automatically at the sound of her voice, searching the crowd, but not seeing her until she was nearly on top of them. Their expressions were of pure shock.

"K?" Chloe asked, turning her head to the side, her face scrunched up. "You look so  _different_." Her smile was growing as she stared at her protector.

"Different?" Zoe asked looking at her properly. "Why isn't your face fixed?" she asked, smiling to herself on seeing the diminutive woman all cleaned up.

"The collar she has on is stopping her abilities from working, girls," Jean cut in as she caught up to them, her hands clasped in front of her. "You can talk later – you two have a class to get to, don't you? Professor Munroe doesn't tolerate tardiness." The two girls shared a look with wide eyes before clutching their books closer to their chests.

"Of course, Ms. Summers," Zoe said, looking at the ground. "See you later, K." She spared K a grin before the she and her sister turned and ran to their next class.

"That is so weird," K muttered, sounding almost like she was in a daze as she watched them turn into a classroom.

"What's weird?" Jean asked her.

"All of it," K replied with her eyebrows raised.

Jean had to laugh at her. "I  _knew_ they'd react like that. They'd never  _seen_ you," Jean teased as they continued their walk to K's new lodging.

The room Jean put her up in was far removed from the other occupied suites, and was separated by several empty rooms from Jean and Scott. The only other resident even remotely nearby was directly across the hall. She named off who was where, telling her that she'd meet most of them at dinner later that night, and glossed over her cross the hall neighbor.

"Why don't you tell me who's over there?" K asked her, wondering why she'd left out the one person she'd probably see if she were to stick around.

"That's Logan's room," Jean replied with a little smirk that read trouble. "I'll introduce you whenever he gets back. He's in and out all the time in addition to being on the senior X-Men's team. We never know when he's going to be here, and when he is, he usually keeps to himself." She shrugged with a dismissive wave. "He won't bother you if you don't bother him."

K just nodded, with a little smirk.  _Looks like I'm in the outsiders zone. Good,_  she thought.

Jean left her to settle in after showing her the finer points of the room, and promising to take her out for clothes and set her up with all the little things women like to have around for their hair and makeup. Introductions were slated to happen at dinner, and Jean had promised her that with a little luck, their tech expert should be there before the end of the week.

The room K found herself assigned to was nice. It was a suite like all of the other rooms in the teacher's wing. It was fairly spacious ... private bathroom, balcony, walk in closet and a nice large bed. The only thing missing were the little things she'd need to keep clean. There was little in the bathroom aside from some bar soap.

As much as K disliked the thought of it, Jean was right, a shopping trip would be in order. She hoped that they'd be able to get it done soon, seeing as once she was clean, she preferred to stay that way, though already she wasn't convinced of how wise it would be to stay at this place. Surely, they'd be looking for her soon, and she didn't want all those teenagers in anyone's cross hairs, or for the X-Men's base to be targeted. She laid on the bed, drifting in and out as she stared at the ceiling, rousing finally when there was a knock at the door.

"It's open," K called out,as she picked her head up to see who her visitor was, fully expecting Jean or Scott. But instead, the door creaked open to reveal a very pretty brunette young woman with curly hair.

"Hi, I'm Kitty ... Jean told me to bring you down for dinner?" the young woman said with a bright, welcoming smile. There was no wondering why she'd sent little miss sunshine up for this job.

K nodded and sat up. "Nice to meet you. Sorry ... it's ... been awhile since I slept in a bed and remembered it," K replied as she stood up, smoothing the bottom of her sweater over her jeans with both hands.

Kitty let out a little gasp as her hand covered her mouth. "They didn't get the collar off?" she asked, her face a mixture of surprise and pity.

K drew herself up and tipped her chin up slightly to speak between barely clenched teeth. "Nope."

"Well, you can sit by me, if you'd like. I'll point out everyone before we get formal on you," Kitty promised with a smile.

K nodded her agreement and stepped forward, though her gaze had fallen to the floor as soon as Kitty's back was turned. She still wasn't comfortable with all the kind gestures. But at least Kitty didn't try to grab her arm as she guided her to the dining room. She had to wonder if Jean had warned her to keep her hands to herself.

When they got down to the dining room, K was pleasantly surprised at the entire feel of the room .. of course it matched the rest of the stately house. Classy and upscale without being over the top – though the congregation of adults within it was much more of a hodgepodge.

K and Kitty took their seats at the long dining room table facing the windows, and the view was lovely. A forest was visible a fair distance out past a well manicured rolling lawn. K stared out at it somewhat longingly, thinking of the quiet she always found in the woods as she tried to ignore the random person watching her. Before the polite chatter died down, Kitty whispered to her who everyone was as they filed in, all curious at the new woman at the table, but tactful enough, or experienced enough for most to not stare at her outright.

After they'd all gotten dinner well underway, Scott made to introduce the newcomer. "Alright guys, I'd like to introduce you to K. She's not sure if she's going to stay, but she will be here at the very least until Forge gets back to remove the inhibitor she's stuck with. You know the drill."

All at once, they started going down the line, introducing themselves, and doing their best to sound both welcoming and encouraging. The chatter went on for a while, and though she answered their sparse questions, mostly she simply stared off into the woods.

That is, until the red eyed man that went by Remy looked across the table to her and caught her attention as he reached across, covering her hand with his. "Don't fret,  _chere_ \- we all been caught up wit dem collas once or twice," he winked, and K tightened the corner of her mouth, not though not quite returning the flirty smile. After the conversation started to die out, K excused herself and headed toward the stairs to go to bed and avoid any more unnecessary socialization. She didn't feel much like being friendly when she was making her mind up on when to leave, and she simply was not used to being around so many people at one time. She was only two steps up when Jean and Kitty caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs with two other gorgeous women.

"I thought we'd do a little shopping for you tonight? Some essentials?" Jean beamed at her. K paused and nodded as she turned then replied with a soft 'alright' as she changed course to follow them. She didn't feel like she belonged in the same zip code as these women seeing as they looked like they'd walked off a fashion billboard and it was just this morning K had finally gotten the twigs and mud out of her hair. But more importantly, she just didn't feel like  _herself._

Where K had been mostly just tired all day, now she was starting to get a bit woozy as they walked towards the garage. She stopped and put her hand against the wall to steady herself, frowning at the floor before she looked hard at the women chatting and planning before she straightened herself up and called them to a stop. They all froze in their tracks and turned her way, clearly prepared for any argument she might have.

"Ladies, I'm sorry, I just don't think I'm up to this right now." K said, her eyes to the ground as she shook her head a little. "It's not a dodge. Not really. I'd love something to wear other than this…" she gestured down at her borrowed ensemble "... but to be honest. I hate group shopping. And I'm not entirely up to it," K admitted. The ladies all looked a little disappointed at the sudden change in plans.

"Well, we can work around that," Betsy chimed in. "Give us your sizes, and we'll just pick some things out for you." She had a smile on her lips that was a bit too wicked to be friendly as she said it.

"You don't mind?" K asked, watching one woman after another shake their heads 'no'. K let out a sigh of relief. "That would be amazing. Thank you. I really appreciate it," K said, looking tired suddenly.

"You really want to trust us like that?" Rogue asked, the shock in her tone was obvious.

"Better you than me, far as I'm concerned. Honestly. I don't care what it is as long as it's functional and I have some jeans … and a few t-shirts and something for a layer or two. The rest doesn't matter," K said thickly, thinking of how useful it could be to have someone else choosing the styles for her next run. But she was also feeling heavier as the conversation went on.

"Alright. Sure. We'll go take care of it. I've got your sizes," Jean said in return, a tiny frown on her delicate features. She paused, her head tipped to the side. "While we're gone, I think I'll have Bobby show you around."

K breathed a sigh of relief. No shopping today. It was a good thing too, she didn't honestly think she'd be able to make it through a store with them, let alone an entire mall. They looked like marathon shoppers and she was more of a 'know what you came for get it and run' type of shopper. K followed Jean to the living room where Bobby was watching the sports review with Remy and Scott.

"Bobby, we're going out for a few hours ... would you please show her around?" Jean asked sweetly. "She hasn't had the full tour."

"Sure, no problem," he said with a playful smile as he hopped up from the couch. He offered his arm and they started off his tour, going the opposite way as Jean.

Bobby was a wonderful tour guide, and had a great sense of humor, but K had started to feel very dizzy as they approached the last stop - the game room, and from two rooms down she could hear the pool game in progress. There was some serious trash talking going on from Remy and a gravely voice that she hadn't heard yet. As they entered the room, the game stopped and Remy shouted out a friendly greeting in French.

"Looks like things are pretty serious in here," Bobby said with a smirk. "No reason to get into the middle of that. We can come back later." The two of them turned, but didn't get more than a few steps before Mr. Gravel and Smoke threw in his two cents.

"Oh, Come on, popsicle. Aren'tcha gonna introduce me to yer lady friend?" the bulky little stranger growled out, his back still to them.

"Um, sure. You're going to meet her sooner or later," Bobby said before he tipped his head to the side and spoke out of the corner of his mouth to her in a whisper " _I'm sorry in advance,_ " then he raised his voice to a more reasonable speaking level as the stranger gave him a glare and Bobby gestured toward him. "K, this is Logan. He must have just gotten back from … whatever it was he was doing. No one really knows."

Bobby then gestured neatly to K. " Logan, K was picked up a few days ago. We know she's more brave than most because she's actually trusting the girls to shop for her," he laughed.

Logan set his cue down and looked her over from across the room, eyes narrowed and chewing on his cigar, hand on his hip. "Don't hide yer face, girl. Look up," Logan half barked at her.

_Who the hell do you think you are?_  K thought to herself in a knee-jerk reaction, but her mind and body weren't in synch so instead, she automatically did as he asked her to, straightening up more and tipping her chin up as he took a few steps closer.

When Logan stopped in front of her, his expression softened for a second, then went very hard as he narrowed his eyes at the collar on her neck. "Why the hell hasn't Hank gotten that damn thing off her?" he asked, and edge to his voice that wasn't there before.

"New model," Remy answered smoothly. "He don' got de key, and it don' look like nuttin' we see dem usin'. Hank was thinkin' it have some needles wit drugs in dem too."

Logan walked the rest of the way over to her, but when he reached out to touch the collar, K pulled back a bit automatically, stopping him in his tracks. He frowned at her, but didn't drop his hand. "I won't hurt ya, girl," he groused, meeting her eyes and narrowing his further as he looked her over properly. He tilted his head, then his hand drifted from the collar to her jawline, his thumb brushing the hair out of her bruised face. Gently he tipped her chin upwards a little assessing her injuries while his eyebrows knitted together.

"Rifle butt?" he asked gently. K dipped her chin down a touch with a soft 'mm hmm' in response. He turned her head in his hands and pulled the hair off her neck before stepping closer and leaning in to take a deep sniff as her chin drifted down again.

Bobby and Remy shared a look and Remy smirked as Bobby shifted uncomfortably. "Uh ...Logan, what the hell are you doing?" Bobby asked, as he looked at him strangely. But it was clear that Logan was going to ignore him as he dipped his head down to try and get K to look him in the face again, noting that her eyes were drifting shut.

"Hank's right," Logan said softly, getting both of the other men to share a look over his shoulder. "There's drugs in there, and it's rigged to blow." He watched her carefully, frowning more when she didn't even try to meet his stare even when he was physically turning her head so she'd look at him. "You feelin' alright?"

"M'tired, I guess," she mumbled, swaying lightly where she stood.

He nodded then he gently tipped her face up to look at him again, biting back the growl as her head began to loll. She was starting to slump. "Bobby, tell Hank. Now," Logan said, his tone commanding enough that Bobby didn't even question it as he took off.

"Girl, your eyes are glassy," Logan said, in a much less stern tone.

K nodded lightly, her eyes closed. Then the room moved, and without thinking she reached out and grabbed his arm to keep from going over sideways.

"Easy there, darlin'," Logan said, catching her by her arms as her knees gave out. When she didn't respond to him, he realized how fast she was slipping downhill.

"Damnit," He muttered before he looked up at Remy and shouted "Get the damn door!" He scooped her up and started to run.

K tried to pick up her head but it was swimming and her eyes wouldn't focus right when she had them open. Her head lolled on her shoulders. Nothing seemed to be working right for her and it was easier to take the jostling when she just closed her eyes and didn't fight it.

"Stay with me now," Logan said low to her, shifting her weight so she could lean her head on his shoulder. But to K, he sounded far off. Fuzzy. He said something else but it sounded jumbled. She couldn't make it out and she started to feel as if she was floating. Her eyes drifted shut again and the shouting started.


	4. Surprises

Logan skipped the elevator opting for the stairs to rush the unconscious K to the lab. At first her head lolled, and her arms hung limp. He practically jumped down the stairwell, clutching her little frame tightly to him. Bobby followed on an ice slide, relaying to Hank on a com link what was happening and what Logan had suspected. Remy rushed ahead of both of them to be sure the doors were open once Logan reached the bottom and the path to the lab was clear.

"Where's the Elf when I need him," Logan muttered under his breath when all at once, the girl in his arms went rigid, and he very nearly dropped her. He paused, taking a knee as he readjusted his grip on her before finally opting to toss her over his shoulder when she went limp again. He just hoped she wouldn't tense up and make him drop her. As he passed Remy at a dead run towards the lab, he felt a sharp pain in his back that shocked him to his core.

"What the hell?" he half shouted as he went down. He tried to keep her from hitting her head, cushioning her fall with his hands as he tumbled over her. Remy ran to them, swearing loudly in French as he tried to pull K from Logan as she attacked him. She was swinging blind in a panic.

Logan darted back in to her and pinned her to the ground after a short wrestling match. He grappled at her hands once he got the upper edge, using his weight to pin her as Bobby ran for Hank.

He managed to get one arm pressed to the floor next to her head as she struggled and screamed, fighting like a little wild cat to stab him, which she did- in his side while her arm flung around. He cried out then gritted his teeth, grasping her wrist before she could twist it or take another shot. He pulled her arm from his side straight out and wrestled her hands above her head.

Once he'd removed her best way to defend herself, she really started to struggle. Her head whipped back and forth as she tried to bite him. She tried bucking him off of her to no effect while she vacillated between screams and a very mumbled "no". He knew all at once that this wasn't the first time someone had pinned her down like this. And whoever had done it before hadn't listened to her pleas to stop.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Logan told her grimly, though it was clear she hadn't really heard him. He looked to her pinned arms and took a deep breath to steady himself. This girl had claws.

Remy let out a low whistle when he saw the damage she'd done to Logan. Though the bleeding had already stopped, she'd stuck him good. He had blood all down one leg of his jeans, and his shirt was soaked where she'd got him in the side. He shifted his weight lower to sit more on her legs when she tried to pull a leg around his neck as Hank came out of the lab in a rush.

"Oh, dear," Hank mumbled as he watched the woman's thrashing start to slow, her breaths coming in fast and shallow and her heart racing quick little beats. Logan had just opened his mouth to ask Hank about the girl's claws when the collar started beeping.

"Damnit," Logan muttered as Hank dropped down next to them. He used a syringe of something to counteract what he'd suspected as common horse tranquilizers. With the needle in her arm, he depressed the plunger while Logan held her fast, unsure of what her reaction would be. Within a few seconds, K relaxed. Her breathing evened out and her heart found a more normal pace. Another minute later and beeping stopped. The two men shared a look and let out all their breath.

Hank started her IV and pulled some blood from her other arm as Logan kept his grip on her, just in case.

"Can you get her to a gurney?" Hank asked quietly. Logan nodded in response before he moved off of her then kneeled next to her and gently picked her up.

"Did you know about the claws?" Logan asked, a concerned look on his face.

"No. I suspected, but at the time it seemed rude to ask when she was acting so skittish. Are _you_ alright?" Hank asked as he looked at the blood on his friend.

"I'm fine," Logan grumped. "Just be sure you watch out for her hands if you see her go stiff."

"I'm quite versed in that, my friend." Hank said seriously as Logan laid her down on a gurney.

Working very quickly, Hank stripped her down and slipped her into a hospital gown while Logan stood guard nearby, ready to restrain her again if necessary. He found himself kind of wishing she'd fight while Hank redressed her, but she laid still like a good little patient.

As soon as she was redressed in the hospital gown, Hank brought out a set of restraints. Logan felt a sudden frown, unhappy with the idea of tying her up as Hank slipped the woman's hands into the restraints and tightened them. It was too familiar to how he'd been treated in the past himself, and his anger began to rise up when Hank repeated the process with her feet as well. Frowning, he simply couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"You really gotta tie her down that tight, Hank?" Logan half growled out.

"I know you have an aversion to restraints, Logan, but after hearing about her try to take your head off from Remy, yes, I believe it's a prudent move." Hank gave him a look over his half moon glasses as he shortened the restraints further.

Logan's mouth tightened as he watched the sleeping woman, thinking it all over. If what Remy said was right earlier in their game ... this was the one that Scott had pulled from a black ops group. He didn't have to think too hard imagining what they'd wanted her for.

Biting back a growl, he walked to a cabinet and pulled out a blanket the brought it to over to cover her up. When he was satisfied that she was going to be warm, he flipped off the light over her head and pulled up a chair. He was prepared to sit with her for the rest of the night. Just to keep watch.

"You can go anytime, Logan. I don't think she'll give me any trouble when she wakes," Hank reassured him. Logan crossed his arms and grunted in response as he put his boots up on an adjacent chair. His signal was clear: he wasn't goin' anywhere.

_Like hell,_  Logan thought to himself. He didn't know where this woman came from, but he knew a kindred spirit when he saw one. With a very little internal debate, he decided to ask Jean about K when she returned.

* * *

When Jean made her way down to the lab the next morning, Logan was lightly napping in the chair next to K's bed, his feet propped up and his arms crossed over his chest. She tried to be as quiet as possible when she checked over K's vital signs, concerned for the new girl who seemed to be having such a rough start. Hank had told her what had happened when she and the other ladies came back from their shopping trip. He told her how the read out of K's blood work came back with evidence of a very heavy dose of Rompun, and a faded measure of Acepromazine; both common, but powerful horse tranquilizers that Hank had correctly guessed was being used. As she turned the page of the report, she was startled realizing the hard way she wasn't the only one awake.

"Where did they find her, Jeannie?" Logan asked as he tipped back his cowboy hat and readjusted his legs.

"Northern Wisconsin," She answered softly, her hand over her heart as she tried to recover from the start he gave her. "She was being dragged into an unmarked van when Scott's team intervened."

"Ya know who's after her?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"We have a pretty good idea, but we're not certain." She replied, shrugging one shoulder up as she readjusted the IV feed.

"Should I guess?" he asked as he moved to stand.

"I don't think you have to, Logan. Your guess is as good as ours. Probably better, if I'm being totally honest," Jean said looking serious.

He turned his attention to the woman in the bed. She seemed peaceful, if not for her clenched fists. He shook his head with a frown as he turned back to Jean. "They'll come looking for her," He started to say. "If they went so far as to drug her, they'll have GPS and be looking to recover."

Jean's face went a bit pale before her eyes narrowed and she pursed her mouth. "They better _not_. We'll be ready for them if they do," she said with a bit of heat. "What they've done to her already ….."

"What did they do?" Logan asked quickly as he cut her off. "What _do_ you know?" 

Jean stopped and took a moment to try to read him before she answered slowly. "From what I saw, many of the same experiments they did on you, only there was some other abuses to her that I just couldn't watch. I think she's blocked out a lot, too, or there was memory tampering. You know how hard it is to tell the difference sometimes," she said sadly. "I know you've tried to stop them ... but ..." she let her sentiment drift off as he grimly turned toward K's sleeping form.

He watched K for a moment longer as Jean watched him. Finally, she put her hand on his shoulder and tipped her head to the side, pulling on the tail of his shirt, examining the bloodstains and trying to shift his attention to the more conscious in the room.

"How did this happen?" she asked frowning at all the dried blood on his clothes.

"She stabbed me," he said simply, still looking at the sleeping woman. Jean took a step closer and found the holes in his shirt where her claws had gone through and pursed her lips.

"Lucky you can heal so quickly," she said, brows wrinkled as she assessed him, a little curious as to why he hadn't made a pass at her when she was that close, one hand on his side and giving him her attention. "If it was anyone else, they'd be dead. She got your kidneys, looks like maybe liver too?" she asked. He nodded his head, still not looking at the red head.

"Nicked my diaphragm. Was awful hard to breathe for a minute there. An' fixin' a kidney is no picnic either," he said, never taking his eyes off the girl. "What gets me is that she was swingin' blind. Her eyes were closed." 

"You think she has training?" Jean asked him, concern lining her features. 

"Maybe. Damn good instincts anyhow," Logan said half under his breath.

The comment shocked his redheaded friend. It was rare for _anyone_ to get such a high complement from the feisty Canadian and it had Jean smirking to herself. This could be exactly what was needed to make  _her_ life easier too.

"Go change. Wash up. Hank and I are here, we got this," Jean promised, though she tried not to look insulted when he waited a moment longer before finally, he nodded his head and turned to leave.

He couldn't figure out why he was having problems leaving the stranger alone. He wanted to stick around … and do what? He shook his head as he looked back at her from the door to the med bay before he went to his room to clean up. Best to forget it until K woke up when he could get a chance to really question her.

* * *

Hank had wisely hung a sign in the door to the med lab that morning that read  _NO VISITORS_  after seeing how violent K had reacted the night before. Without knowing how much of the drug remained in the inhibitor collar, he decided to keep well wishers safe and far away.

Forge arrived late morning, and Scott walked with him to the lab, filling him in as they went on the happenings so far with the woman they'd pulled out of the north woods. Forge read over the reports from both the extraction and last night's mess when he slowed to a stop in the hall. Scott had to stop and turn to look at him, curious as to what had the tall Native American stopped.

"What's this?" he asked as he read the part about the beeping. His eyes locked on Scott as he continued. "When did they start using drugs, and what was it beeping for?" Scott couldn't answer the specifics Forge wanted though.

"Logan had said that it holds explosives," Scott said as they picked up their pace a little more. "I'm going to go out on a limb and guess they were going to blow her head off, but we don't know what the trigger for it was." 

Alarmed, Forge rushed passed him to the lab the rest of the way and nearly ran into Logan as he got to the doors.

"You were involved last night," Forge said in a hushed tone as he grabbed Logan by the shoulders "Tell me everything." Logan shrugged him off and took a step back but relayed the whole fiasco. As Logan finished telling him his story of what happened, Forge slipped into the lab and went to the unconscious woman to start examining the collar.

"You said it's rigged," Forge muttered as he kept lightly touching the metal housing. "What do you smell?"

Logan let out a breath and glanced up at Hank before he answered. "C4," Logan replied finally. He looked grim at the implications, particularly when Forge froze, his fingers barely touching the collar.

"We have to get his off her _now_ ," he said at nearly a whisper. He tried to gently pull her forward to look at the back of it, but the restraints stopped him and Forge looked as if the world was conspiring to slow him down. "Logan, help me." Forge requested as he undid the restraints. Logan worked quickly as he freed one of her arms, then sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her near her elbows in case she woke up swinging again. It was a simple and effective way to pin her arms, and he wasn't going to complain about it. He leaned back, taking her with him as Forge lifted up her hair and looked at the collar closely.

"Alright, set her back down," he directed. As soon as she was back in the bed properly, Forge quickly put the restraints back in place as Logan rubbed at his nose. She'd used Jean's shampoo, and it just too strong smelling. It overwhelmed any other scent on her outside of the heavy plastique of the C4 and he simply didn't like it. Logan frowned when he saw that Forge had replaced the restraints, but was a little too wrapped up in trying to smell what was under all that floral and explosives to concentrate on much else. 

Forge glanced around the lab and called for Hank. The two of them started to discuss things as Forge asked for all different forms of odd equipment. It wasn't long before Hank led Forge off to an adjacent lab and the two of them got to work. He was sure that in a day or so he'd have the means to safely remove the collar, but his suspicion was that if he could get it quicker, they'd be better off.

But it only left Logan more or less alone in the room with K as she continued to sleep. And somehow, he missed entirely the look that Scott had on his face as he watched Logan getting thrown off his game by an unconscious woman. 

* * *

 

K finally woke up – groggy and worn, torn between wanting to jump up and run off or to just stay where she was and fall asleep again. 

She was not surprised at all to find herself back in the lab with the good doctor. In fact, she was more surprised that she woke up at all, not that she was going to complain. Her body felt heavy and her head was loopy. She sleepily blinked and tried to raise her hand to her eyes. The restraint hit her and she tensed for just a second, her heart automatically jumping pace before she simply gave up. She tried the other hand and dropped her head back into the pillows.

She should have known that these people couldn't trust her. She tried to re-position herself in the bed, but she couldn't get far with her feet tied too and that really got her mood down. The last time she'd been tied up this tightly ... _No,_  she thought to herself.  _God, Don't think about that._

"Ah, the patient awakes!" Hank said as he smiled at her, startling her out of her morbid thoughts.

"How long have I been out this time?" she slurred out. Concerned with her tone, he leaned towards her, shining a light in her eyes as he tipped her head back to examine her thoroughly.

"You have been unconscious for approximately 36 hours," He replied as he continued his examination.

" _W_ _hat_?" she replied, clearly shocked with panic rising in her voice, though the fog didn't yet want to truly lift from her mind.

Sighing, Hank looked at her seriously as he took a seat next to her on her bed. "You were brought into my lab 36 hours ago by Logan. He'd made an entirely correct assumption that the inhibitor you are wearing had delivered a near fatal dose of a strong tranquilizer. You reacted badly to it, stabbing him while he tried to get you here." She looked horrified as he continued. "Forge has assessed the collar, and between himself and Logan, they've deduced that we are facing an eminent problem. Forge plans to try to remove the collar this afternoon, if you feel up to it." He looked at her reassuringly and patted her knee as he prepared to stand. But the source of her horrified expression was not something that Henry had prepared for.

"I stabbed someone?" K asked, her face clearly pained. Henry paused and sat back down, concentrating on trying to calm her as she looked a bit green.

"Yes, but I can assure you, he's perfectly alright now. He possesses a healing ability. Had anyone else tried to carry you here, they would likely be sharing the lab in a bed next to you, or worse. Your aim was quite spectacular," he said. Her stomach felt like lead as she stared down at her knees.

"Is that why the restraints are necessary?" she asked in a quiet, sad voice as she trembled slightly. He sighed before answering her. It was clear that all these measures were weighing on her and were not helping her mental well being.

"I'm afraid so. Until we know that the collar is not going to administer more drugs, and that your system remains clean, we cannot trust that you will not unknowingly react in such a manner again." His tone was warm and consoling, but it didn't help her much. She nodded, looking positively tiny as she dropped her head back into the pillows and Henry rose to his feet. He made it less than five yards from her bed when she called out to him.

"Can you please tell whoever I stabbed that I'm sorry?" she asked quietly.

"My dear, you can tell him yourself. He's agreed to assist if needed while Forge removes the collar. Both will be here within the hour," Hank told her, returning to grasp her hand gently. "You could have mentioned the claws though, my dear. You're not the only mutant we've seen with them." She wrinkled her nose at him but, as always, he was kind in his tone before he went back to his microscopes.

Not the only clawed mutant? That was ... interesting. She thought she was somewhat unique by the way that the lab rats had always talked about her.

"Henry," she said sounding entirely miserable suddenly, stopping him before he'd gone too far. "Can you please scratch my nose?" He smiled warmly and returned, more than happy to help her before she snuggled back down into the pillow. May as well try to sleep before they tried to deal with the collar. If they managed to get her out of it ... she would likely have to run sooner rather than later.

* * *

 

When K woke up again, it was to the sound of men talking around her. Automatically, her heart began to race and she pulled at her restraints as panic hit her. Hank's furry hand touched her shoulder as he silently reminded her of where she was. She stopped pulling, but her heart still didn't want to slow. She _knew_ she was in trouble. She looked around and was surprised at the tall Native American with a metal hand. He smiled at her kindly and made sure to introduce himself before explaining the process they were going to use while her eyes drifted to a massive tray of gadgets and tools nearby.

She looked around the room and was surprised to find that Hank was standing behind a clear plastic barrier, as was a woman doctor she hadn't met yet. When she looked closer at Forge, she realized he had on what appeared to be bomb squad gear, complete with the heavy plated reinforcements that covered his neck. She glanced over at Logan and saw no such precautions. He was the only one that either wasn't concerned about an explosion, or didn't seem to care. She was feeling less and less good about what was about to happen.

The first thing Forge attempted seemed like it did nothing. He waved a metal device over the collar, and apparently the lights on it changed color, but then her jaw locked up and her back arched as the device electrocuted her. A few moments later, she was lying limp in the bed, ears ringing and blood coming out her nose. The woman doctor rushed in, cleaned her up and checked her eyes and ears before taking note of her vitals. Hank and Logan looked grim as Forge made an adjustment to the device.

K couldn't hear anything from her ears ringing, but she read Forge's lips as he told her that they would try again, if she was ready. She nodded her head numbly and this time after he tried the device with new settings, she felt as though she'd been kicked in the chest by a mule before all went black.

She woke up gasping to the sound of beeping as Hank stood over her with paddles in his hands looking completely distressed.

The men looked at each other a moment as K sputtered and coughed, gasping for air, her body aching terribly. Hank sat down heavily in the chair near her in silence. K looked at him as he sighed and then simply laid back into the pillows again.

"It's pretty obvious this isn't working. Would it be too much to ask if I can I please just go outside now?" she asked wearily. Hank shook his head sadly at her.

"We can't take a chance at you getting hurt further or something going wrong with the inhibitor, my dear," he replied as he took her hand in his. "And Forge believes that the device has a timer. We can keep working." 

"Doc, I think we all know it's not coming off. It'll kill me first. And that's alright. Just, let me go die in the woods,"she told him as she forced a soft smile. "I'm fine with it. You have no obligation to me. None of you. What you do have though is some nice trees. It's not home, but it'll do in a pinch. It's OK. You tried. You did all you could. It's not worth losing your people over."

He looked torn as he finally shook his head and moved to release her from her restraints. Logan looked fit to be tied. "Jean had brought down some clothes for you the morning after Logan brought you in," Henry said to her as the woman assisting him brought her a stack of clothes. "I still don't want to send you out before we try a few more things, but you're welcome to put on clothes that will cover more than that gown." 

"Thanks," K nodded and immediately started to change before they could close the curtain around her. "I hope she kept the receipts for the rest. She went overboard."

The men shared a look before Hank again reminded her she was only getting changed, not going outside to die. "It's not right to joke about things like that," Henry chided. It wasn't long before the uncomfortable silence was interrupted when K realized she needed a hand, her body still aching from the shocks and being tied in bed for so long.

"Dr. um … lady doc?" K called out quietly. Everyone turned to Hank's assistant as K held her breath for a moment. "I think I need a little help. I can't move very well." The woman straightened out and hurried behind the curtain.

"You can call me Celia," she said as she stepped started to help K balance to get dressed. The men all looked to be in varying stages of discomfort as the sounds of the two women echoed the otherwise silent lab. Once K was mostly clothed, Celia pulled back the curtain as K's bare feet touched the ground.

When she tried to stand, she wobbled badly. "I'm afraid you may still have the tranquilizer in your system, K. You're welcome to walk around the lab, but you most definitely should not go outside," Hank said as she leveled her eyes at him, pleadingly. "There are more things we can try. Perhaps we can get one of our team here ..." Clearly, Henry wasn't as ready to give up, but K shook her head slowly already tired of the shocks and jolts and kicks from the collar, not to mention the fact that she was just  _tired_ of running. Tired of fighting them. 

"Let me go or I'll get out on my own," K replied. But Henry was shaking his head already, digging for some different method of restraints in the storage closet.

Logan flat didn't like it. He stepped toward her suddenly, nearly knocking her back to the bed as he pulled her hair out of the way. He leaned in and sniffed at her neck again before turning to Hank and leaving K staring at him. 

"She's clean Henry. Drugs are burned out of her _and_ the collar. Let her out. She needs fresh air after bein' locked in here for so long," Logan said roughly. Hank wrinkled his brow. It wasn't like Logan to go along with anyone so easily. Particularly someone new.

"Logan, I'm not sure that's the best ..."Hank started, but Logan was feeling impatient and cut him off with a wave.

"We all know that if you could get the damn thing off - it'd be off. She wants out. She's goin' out. I'll take her if it makes ya feel better," he growled out. "I'll bring her back too. Just ... give her some air." 

Hank considered it for a moment before nodding in agreement. He wondered for a second if that wasn't precisely what Logan wanted.

"That's ... actually a wonderful idea, Logan," Hank replied.

Logan's shoulders seemed to relax a hair as he offered K his arm to balance. She looked up at him warily but tipped her head his way before releasing her grip on the railing. She only made it a few wobbly steps before her knees buckled, and he amended himself, wrapping his arm around her waist. She put her hand on the wrist of the hand he had resting on her hip and wrapped her arm across his shoulders as they made their way outside.

She waited until they were well out of the house and nearly to the woods before she made a point to clear her conscience.

"I'm sorry," she said to him suddenly, her voice soft.

"Fer what?" he asked with a frown.

"I ... am told that I hurt you the other day. I didn't mean to. So, sorry," she mumbled. "Not the best way to make friends ... stabbing them." His face relaxed a hair and he stared forward resolutely.

"You didn't hurt me. I'm fine," he replied, tersely. She looked at his face as they walked. Then it hit her. She couldn't believe she didn't pull it together quicker. He was the reason Hank had asked about the claws.

"You're the one," she started out, making him squirm a bit. "You're the other one that has claws. Hank said you could heal ... I should have known."

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable but he nodded once as they made it into the treeline. She watched him try to not look at her as he all but carried her deeper into the trees.

"I'm still sorry for stabbing you. Even if you are all healed up, it hurt when I did it," she said, her face tipped down before she looked back to the path ahead. Logan almost missed a step at her words and did a bit of a double take.

His whole long life, everyone around him had always brushed over the fact that even though he healed, the pain was intense when the injury happened, and even after it was healed, he often was sore and sometimes ... if the injury was bad enough, he'd feel the lingering pain for days, or even weeks later. This woman apparently understood _that_ much and he had no idea what to do with that information. That little realization had his mind racing.

They continued to walk until they came to one of Logan's favorite clearings in the forest surrounding Xaviers. It was off the beaten path, and as far as he knew, no one else at the Institute knew where it was. He helped her to take a seat on a mossy log then sat a few paces away from her letting her breathe for a moment. He gave her space ... something that if he was in her shoes, he would certainly have wanted. They sat there silent and still until the little sounds of the forest came back. Only a few minutes after that did she say anything, and even then, she was incredibly quiet, enough so that he had to pay attention to hear her speak.

"Do you hear it humming?" she asked, turning to look at him finally. He finally met her eyes and simply nodded. "It's going to blow up, isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question.

He broke eye contact and kicked a rock, his eyes on his feet before breathing out a quiet answer. "Yeah, seems like it," he replied softly before he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. From the corner of his eye he watched her let out a breath and smirk, much more relaxed than he thought she should be.

"You don't have to stick around, you know," she said, forcing a tiny smile for him. "It'll be fine. Save yourself the trouble of healing. I promise I'll just stay right here. It's a pretty spot." He shook his head and moved to sit closer to her, his hand on her knee.

"Sorry, beautiful – you really shouldn't be out here alone until we can get it offa ya," he said in a low rumble. "And I'm not giving up. I'm taking you for some air.

She laughed at that, and shook her head. "You're not going to get it off without hurting someone or taking my head with it. Or both," she turned to look at him squarely. "Which was probably the whole point of it. These creeps knew what they were doing, and it's fine. I'm OK with it. It's better than the alternative. So – go back to your family. One way or another, I won't be too long." She smiled at him and squeezed his thigh just over his knee. "I'm not worth all the trouble." She bit her lip and let out a sigh as she watched the dust float in the afternoon sunbeams.

He frowned at her willingness to just give up that quickly.  _He_  didn't want to give up on her. Not yet. Not unless he had to, and he still had a few things he wanted to try. "Like hell am I letting you give up that easy," he said before he moved to squat down in front of her. He looked her in the eyes as he leaned toward her, his hands on her knees for a moment. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow as he leaned closer, studying her face. Without any further warning, his hands moved to slide into her hair at the sides of her head and he pulled her into a searing kiss.

Her hands floated up to his shoulders and clenched the fabric there as one of his hands slid down her back, holding her tightly to him while he pulled her up to standing with him. When he broke the kiss, the shock was openly readable on her features, and both were out of breath. Gently he cradled her head with a trouble making smirk and as they stood close his expression changed to one much more serious.

"Don't move, you hear me? _Don't_. Move," he said quietly as she blinked away the fog in her head from the unexpected kiss.

As she watched him, focused on his eyes, his face hardened and she heard a metallic sound from his free hand. Her heart jumped to her throat and she tried to turn her head a bit to see what it was, but he had a solid hold on the back of her skull. From the corner of her eye, she saw a single metallic claw protruding from his hand as it moved towards her neck. Panic rose fast as she realized he meant to use it on her.

"Wait!" she barely whispered as she looked between his hard glare and the claw that he had brought to the side of her neck. "What are you doing? I thought you weren't giving up!" Her voice was shaking as she began to panic, sure that she wasn't going to get him to stop. She began to tremble as he steadied his hand on her shoulder, apparently ignoring her pleas. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her breathing was quick and shallow. She was frozen, fully expecting him to simply put her down. Her hands were resting on his arm that held her head, not even thinking about trying to stop the one with the claw resting against her very much non-healing throat. It was clear that she was terrified that an attempt to stop him would only result in a more painful end.

Just before he moved the claw, he took a steadying breath and urged her to look at him. "Trust me," Logan said, his voice stone cold serious and calm. Soothing even. "K, honey. This is important. Look in my eyes and whatever you do - Don't. Move. I promise - I won't hurt you." She managed to school her panic a little and nodded slightly before she took a deep breath and held it. She stared into his icy blues but instead of anything treacherous, she saw only calm confidence and concentration.

She closed her eyes tightly, and bit her bottom lip wincing as Logan slid the claw between her neck and the collar. In a quick, smooth, and perfectly seamless move he cut through the collar, retracted the claw and used both of his hands to wrench it from her neck before he flung it away from them. It beeped twice as Logan tackled her to the ground, cradling the back of her head with one hand. He barely covered her body with his before the collar exploded.

Debris rained down on them – though it didn't seem like anything major. Bits of the collar, leaves and small twigs. When K opened her eyes, Logan had his closed with a grimace on his face. His body was tense as he tried to keep his weight off of her. K blinked a couple of times as she realized that he wasn't moving."You ... got it off," she breathed out.  

He groaned in response and she stiffened up again, knowing that he'd gotten injured. "Show me what happened," K said, perfectly still and hoping not to startle him. "Please, let me see so I can _help_." But when he didn't respond more than to shut his eyes tighter and shake his head, she wriggled beneath him in an attempt to get out from under him while he pushed her into the thick moss of the forest floor.

He held his breath and readjusted his weight onto one arm before he reached behind him to pull out a chunk of the collar with a quick jerk and a little groan of pain. It was a rather large chunk that had embedded itself into his lower back and as soon as it was out, the blood began to flow freely. His whole body relaxed a bit and he leaned his head forward to rest it on her shoulder as he let out a breath. K could see he was clearly in pain as the blood slid down his side and dripped onto her.

"Give me a minute," he rasped out. "I just need a minute."

She relaxed, feeling a little awkward about where to place her hands while he healed up, his body barely touching hers as they breathed. After a minute or so, he lifted his head and sighed tiredly as he focused on her face again. "Your bruises are gone already," he observed as one eyebrow rose in question and he inspected her face.

"Yeah. Funny how that works, huh?  But never mind that. How's your back?" she asked, as she slid one hand down his side and the other up his chest to rest at his shoulder. She blatantly ignored the questioning look he was giving her.

"I'll live," he said as he watched her hand out of the corner of his eye, suddenly a hair wary of her.

"So, that's twice you've saved my ass," she started with a little sly smile. "How do I properly thank you?"

He smirked down at her and hesitated just a moment before he simply leaned forward for a kiss that turned heated quickly.

By the time he broke the kiss, one of his hands had traveled up her shirt, and one of her legs had hitched over his hip. Her arms were snugly around him and both of them were breathing heavily as he tried to redistribute his weigh over her. He smiled at her as he took in the flush of her cheeks and her increased respiration.

"How 'bout you take a ride with me tonight?" he offered, sounding entirely too full of himself.

"I, ah ... I think I'm busy," K replied with a totally straight face. His smile disappeared and was quickly replaced by a frown as he studied her. He started to pull his hand out of her shirt when the smirk stretched into a smile across her face as she wrapped her other leg around him and pulled him closer.

"Or not," she said as she slipped her hand into his hair and pulled him down for another kiss. She could feel him smiling as the kiss continued, and before it could go further, she started to smile too. He stole one more quick kiss before he untangled himself and got to his feet. He offered her his hand and pulled her up to standing. Once she was solidly on her feet, he took a moment to really look at her now that the bruising was all gone, studying her carefully and very openly.

The light was just right and the sun caught her at an angle perfectly across her eyes. It made her deep chocolate brown irises glow nearly golden in the evening light. She started to look very self conscious as he inspected her so carefully. Just when she was ready to pull away from him, he rested his hand on her hip and stepped into her, starting another kiss, unable to stop himself. "How about you meet me out front in an hour?" He said as he broke the kiss. She nodded her head and drew her teeth over her bottom lip as she looked up at him. When they met gazes, he realized quickly that he had to take control of the situation ... or if he had his way, they'd never make it back to the mansion, let alone a date. With a deep breath, he leaned back. She watched him questioningly for a second, wondering if she'd done something wrong.

He shoved his hands in his back pockets as he stepped backwards. He quickly busied himself with looking around the clearing for pieces of the collar. She watched him move for a moment as her head caught up with the rest of her. He picked up the piece that was previously in his back and she cautiously joined him, the two of them searching the forest floor for other pieces in silence. They found several of the larger pieces and left the little bits behind as Logan explained.

"Forge will want to see this." He gave her a warm, tight smile as they left the clearing. Before they made it up to the mansion, however, Jean and Kitty rushed out to them, clear worry on their faces.

"We heard the explosion - is everyone alright?" Jean asked as they met her on the lawn.  _We waited a bit – it didn't seem like you needed to be disturbed,_  she projected to K as she smiled at her. Kitty picked up the pieces in Logan's hands and took them away to give to Forge, more than ready to jump in and help in whatever way possible. Jean walked around K and looked her over carefully as she checked her for injury. She paid close attention to the spot of Logan's blood on her shirt.

"You heal as quickly as Logan, don't you?" Jean asked as she saw the larger blood stain on Logan's shirt. "What happened here? Shrapnel?" He just grunted in response before turning toward the door. He moved quickly and the crowd of students parted before him without a word. Jean turned her attention back to K. She pulled her aside as Logan went into the house, Using a chance to look at her neck as a flimsy excuse to talk to her with Logan away.

"I'm going to warn you about him," Jean began. "I don't know you yet, but ... I think it's only fair that someone give you a heads up. He's got some _serious_ commitment issues."

"What makes you think I don't?" K asked. "Not everyone is cut out for tall, lean brunette boys."

Jean let of a bit of a huff and simply continued. "That is not ... okay. Listen. Please. Have a little fun if that's what you're into, but don't expect much more than that. He has no luck with women, and most of the time, when the fling is over, he doesn't even remember their names." She was quick and quiet in her whispered advice, but it didn't exactly sound like friendly advice. With all that in mind, K was surprised at her warning.

"Thanks for the heads up," she replied. "But I'm not the kind of girl guys are interested in for more than a good time. I'm not really looking for picket fences, so I don't expect anything like that. Besides, I'll never be the one they want to bring home to mom, if you know what I mean. Particularly if they ever figure out anything about my past. Apparently, it's kind of a turn off. So don't worry about me." Her tone was cynical and her look was as if someone had just told her that was really all she was good for.

Jean instantly regretted saying something, and tried to call out to her as K slipped past, ignoring her pleas to stop.

K quickly found her way to her room though. _Not bad for only being conscious for a few hours first time out._  She looked at Logan's' door for a moment before opening her own and slipping inside.

There was a lot to weigh out. He was kind to her so far, and a helluva kisser. A regular alpha male to boot. Still, the redhead's advice was likely sound. There was little chance that a guy like him would want anything but a little fun from someone like her before one of them left the other standing alone. _W_ _hy the hell am I thinking that way anyhow? I have never cared about anything like that ..._  It wasn't long before she came to the conclusion that it was just a coin toss as to who would be the one to disappear on who.

She headed to her bathroom and turned the water on in the shower, watching it fall over her outstretched hand she reminded herself that she didn't care if that's all it was. This place was nice, but not somewhere she'd be able to stay long term. She was going to have a little fun before the running began again. But that wasn't likely to happen with a heavy ring of dirt around her neck. At least, not on her watch. As the water warmed up she stripped out of the bloodied clothes and looked at her freshly healed face in the mirror.

_I don't hold up to those crazy tall women downstairs ... but at least I don't look horrible anymore. Maybe when I go, I'll try red hair this time,_  she mused with a smirk, wondering if she could pull the look off as a cover. Her eyes drew back to the dark dirty ring around her neck and she grimaced.

Regardless of what color she was going to try, she desperately wanted to wash the scent of that woman's shampoo off of her. Now that she had her senses back ... even three days out, it was far too strong of a scent for her delicate nose. Before she stepped into the shower, she went through the various bottles of elixirs on the counter top until she found one that held the faint scent of pine and sandalwood. She smiled to herself as she took the shampoo into the shower and got down to a proper clean up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one Tiny Note, because I'm sure 99% of the readers out there are unaware ... 
> 
> Rompun and Acepromazine are well known and WELL used and abused horse tranquilizers. There are safer means to sedate the animals, particularly when Rompun can be HIGHLY volatile. I personally have seen a nervous horse be sedated with this drug, only for it to go from slightly dopey to full blown panic, rearing up and striking at anyone around it. That was my inspiration for this section. 
> 
> Ace on the other hand, is a much safer, slower acting alternative ... so you can guess which one went first.


	5. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K and Logan get to know each other a little better.

 

K walked down the front steps of the Xavier estate for her 'date'. She paused at the bottom step when she spotted Logan leaning on his Harley on the far side of the circle, lighting a cigar.

"You ready, sweetheart?" he asked with a rumble. He stood up as she approached, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. She looked at the motorcycle, circled it with a critical eye then crouched down and examined it in places as he watched her with a bemused look on his face. "You're not afraid of bikes, are ya?" he asked her as his smirk widened to a crooked smile. She stood up and shook her head lightly with one eyebrow arched.

"No, I've just never rode on the back of one," she replied, eyeing the seat with a little frown that he couldn't quite place.

He grinned a little wider at the news. "Well, I guess this'll be your first time then," he said as he anticipated having a little fun trying to scare her on the ride.

She looked at him for a moment with a very serious look on her face, her brows drawn together as she lightly shook out her long brown mane. "Oh no, you  _misunderstand_ ," K said a smirk of her own tugging at her mouth. "I've just never ridden on the  _back_. I used to have a pan-head until …. well." Her expression fell and her eyes remained fixed on the chrome sections of the engine. He paused, not quite believing her as he watched her think it through. "I used to have a pan-head," she repeated with a shrug. Suddenly she looked more thoughtful now then when she was ready to die in the woods a few hours earlier. Logan gently took her hand and pulled her closer to the bike.

"Well, come on. The back'll be better than no ride at all," he offered as he swung his leg over. He started it up and nodded for her again to hop on. With a little frown, she swung her leg over and set her hands on his hips as he put it into gear. When they turned onto the road, he opened it up – a favorite trick to get a girl to hold on tighter. But K just leaned into him, totally relaxed and not falling for the game at all.

 _Sonofabitch_ , He thought.  _Girl does know something about riding a scoot._  As they went further down the road, they quickly fell into a familiar groove that surprised him. Although he was initially let down that his little trick didn't have her grabbing at him, he found it nice after a while to not have to tell her what to do or not do as they rode.

She stayed centered with the bike as he leaned into the turns. Which was incredibly pleasant since  _every_ single woman he'd ever taken out tried to lean with him and it always screwed up the fine handle he had on the scoot. K just rode. She didn't talk his ear off either. It had him rethinking his approach to her already.

When they reached the little bar he liked to go to he smiled to himself.  _Now_ was when his date always got upset. They'd take a quick look in the mirror and get mad that their hair was messed up, or their mascara had run. Only, K didn't even peek in the mirror, wasn't wearing any makeup and  _damned_ if he didn't think she looked sexy as hell with her hair wind whipped.

All she did when she got off the bike was straighten her shirt before she led the way into the bar as if she owned the place. He shook his head and quick stepped to catch up to her.

She had to take pause as he opened the door for her with a little smirk. She returned it with a little smile of her own and fell into place at his side as she thought he expected. She let him take the lead as he offered her his arm.

Once inside, the barkeep gave him a familiar nod and half the wait staff shouted out a hello as he led her to his favorite booth in the back corner. He loved that spot. It made it simple to easily watch the entrance, the emergency exit, and the door to the back room and bathrooms. She glanced around with a frown before she took the seat he'd offered her across from him, her back to all he was watching. He raised an eyebrow when he realized that apparently she too would rather keep an eye on all the entries and exits.

"I got your back, darlin. Relax," Logan told her quietly as she shifted in her seat. At that, she glanced up, her lips parted for just a moment before she turned toward the center of the room and finally nodded his way with a closed smile.

"Of course you do," she replied, shaking her head. "You've proven that a couple times already."

He nodded and leaned back as the waitress showed up. After a friendly greeting, he ordered his usual and watched K as the waitress asked her what she'd like, quick to inform her that the only mixed drinks she could make were daiquiris and sex on the beach.

K wrinkled her nose at the woman's assumption and ordered a Budweiser in a bottle. "Leave the cap on, please," K instructed and Logan smiled to himself and waited for the waitress' return with the two bottles of Bud - cap on. K looked up at him strangely before she opened hers up, watching him do the same across the booth. She didn't drop her gaze as she tipped her bottle back, only then looking around the bar because his cocky smirk was a little too much.

She watched him out of the corner of her eye until he finally leaned forward, resting his crossed arms on the table. "So your usual is whatever the lady's drinking?" K asked, turning to glare at him, but that only got a broader smile out of him as he shook his head with a little 'nope' that had K sitting back and clutching her beer to her chest as she watched him. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again before she shook her head and tipped the bottle back again.

Logan waited until they'd killed a few bottles before starting to question her, his chin resting in the palm of his hand. "So where is it you used to call home?" he asked her as she sat sideways in the booth, her back to the wall.

"North," She replied evasively before she took another swig and met his eyes. Logan smirked a little wider. This could be fun. She didn't want to give up information easy.

"Wanna get a little more specific, like maybe a state?" he teased. "Cardinal directions are kinda vague."

She froze, the bottle halfway to her lips as she watched him. "Why do you want to know?" she asked, as she set the bottle back down and looked at him squarely. "Is this fishing for Xavier, or your own interests?"

"Not fishin'," he replied, as he sat back. "I'm just tryin' to get to know ya, that's all."

She stared at him hard for a minute as she tried to assess his motives. She bit her bottom lip as she tapped her fingers on the table, ultimately deciding that it didn't really matter. If Jean was right, he was just chasing tail and this was just small talk. Besides, she'd probably be gone before too long anyhow. And he might be a little fun. It had been a while since she'd had someone to play with. What would it hurt? "Okay. But you need to answer too. I'm from Northern Michigan. West end of the UP if you want to be directionally  _specific_ ," she said as she waited for a wisecrack that often came from people outside of her home state. Logan tried to hide a smile by draining his beer. Her eyes narrowed on seeing his reaction.

"Alright. Go on – whatever smart ass thing you have to say – I've heard it before, but go ahead. Give me your best shot," K said as she waited to see how clever this guy really was.

"No, that's not it," Logan said with a little shake of his head as he set the bottle down and signaled the waitress for two more. "It's called the wolverine state, right?" His twinkling eyes and smirk betrayed his amusement. Her expression changed quickly. That was not at all the direction she thought it would go.

"Yeah. And?" Her tone was defensive and Logan realized that she clearly she hadn't caught the reference.

"So – that's my codename," he said, waiting for her reaction.

A small smile crept up on her face as she shook her head. At least now she knew who the hell he was, though ... she didn't quite believe it. The costumed guy on screen seemed like he was a lot taller. "Right," she said, picking up a fresh bottle. She stared at the label before she drained it in one and he studied her. "That has got to be the weirdest pick up line I've ever heard."

He started to chuckle and he shook his head, pointing at the empty beer bottle. "I'm not going to get you drunk, am I?" he asked her, no whisper of a buzz at all for himself.

"Not at this rate," she said before cracking a breathtaking smile and squaring up her shoulders. "But you're welcome to try."

He finished his last without taking his eyes off her and pulled out a fifty for the waitress before standing and offering her his hand. "C'mon. Let's get outta here," he offered. With a little shrug, she slipped out of the booth and took it. He led her out of the bar and back to the bike without another word spoken. She climbed on behind him, and they were back on the road in no time. She took in the chilly night wind with a sigh, and reveled in the scents in the air, not the least of which, the intoxicating man in front of her.

Her eyes were closed when his hands reached down and pulled hers around him tighter. She took the hint and scooted closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him as far as she could reach and pressed herself against his back. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she felt a rumble emanating from his chest as she did so.

 _Well, this was fun_ , she thought to herself as she leaned her head on his shoulder. They flew down the road and the bike hugged the road around the corners as he drove further into the darkness.

When they finally slowed and the tires hit gravel, she opened her eyes fully expecting to see a motel parking lot. So she was a little surprised to find that instead, it was a gravel road. Suddenly she was far more interested and watched where they were going as the road got rougher, and the forest began to encroach on the road. They passed a small lot and turnaround area, and he downshifted as they slowed down to go around the barricade and continue on a dirt two track that was badly overgrown.

He skillfully navigated the old Milwaukee steel horse as if it were built for off road. He easily weaved around the brush and small trees that had forced their way onto the old path. The further they went, the more he had her attention until she was purely focused on every move he made.

He continued until there was a very large tree that had fallen nearly directly across the lane. He slowed the bike to a stop and turned it around so it was facing back the way they came. She started to look around the woods, wondering what he had planned so far from the civilized world. They had to be twenty miles past the parking area.

Just before he killed the headlights she closed her eyes tight, and tried to force her eyes to adjust to the low light of the deep woods. She opened them as he got off the bike and set the kickstand on a flat rock. When she looked a little closer, she saw that there was a very narrow path that he must have been using to get out there. To her right, she saw what looked almost like a game trail that led off into the woods, and she'd bet that was the way they were headed.

He offered her a hand to climb down when she hesitated, but then he didn't let her go. He led her down the overgrown game trail at a quick pace. They trekked for what she guessed was a good three miles before he slowed down and led her into a very quiet clearing that had a very old abandoned cabin covered with moss and vines.

He nodded towards the cabin before he closed the gap and opened the old creaking door. She could hear the little residents of the cabin as they ran for cover when they entered.

He let go of her hand once they were inside only to stride across the pitch black room. He knelt down to start a small fire in the ancient stone fireplace as she wrapped her arms around herself and cautiously listened to the noises around her. Once his fire was going really well, she took a moment to look around. The outside was really rough, but the inside was dry and it did have a table and a couple chairs. Not to mention a rug that was dusty but dry, and a bed that had clearly seen better days.

"Is this where you take all the girls to get in their pants?" she teased, eyebrow up and a playful smirk in place, though she was not sure what he was up to at that point.

He frowned at the question. "No. I don't take anyone here," he said with a little scowl before he turned and rose up to look at her. "I thought  _you_ might appreciate it. No one at Xaviers really enjoys the woods much."

His tone was a little gruffer than he'd been using and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that she'd blown his mood a little. This wasn't a pick up job. This was a  _gesture_. She looked at him a moment and then turned her attention back to the cabin, really taking it in that time. It was a little creepy in the darkness and fire light, but looking to where the windows were, she realized it was probably quite pretty in daylight.

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood. I thought we were probably headed to a hotel or something," she said quietly as she tried to cover first for the mistake, and then for the overly honest confession. "I wasn't expecting something this thoughtful."

He looked at her closely, and seemed to understand what she meant, a little insulted at her insinuation. He didn't bother to try and stow the growl. "I wasn't looking to just get laid tonight," he said gruffly. "But if that's all you want, far be it from me to argue with ya." His irritation grew as he thought about it. What did he do to make her think that was all he wanted from her? Hadn't he shown her respect …. for the most part?  _Damn it._

"No! No, no," K said, trying to backtrack, shaking her head and her hand outstretched watching how irritated he was before she opened her mouth to try again, "I didn't think - " but he cut her off.

"Someone tell you that's all I care about?" he asked as he stalked towards her, his anger building.

Her mouth dropped open a hair and her shoulders fell before she squared up with him. "Well, yeah, actually." She admitted, crossing her arms in front of her. "Didn't expect you to get sensitive about it."

He let out an insulted noise of disbelief from deep in his chest. "Is that all you want outta me?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

She was taken back by his reaction and she found herself quickly re-evaluating the situation. She sighed, and looked up to the ceiling for some divine intervention before blowing all of her breath out. " _No_  – yes.  _Ugh_. I don't know, okay? Is this a trick question? Because I just met you. So … I don't know." She cocked her hip and tapped her foot as she looked at the floor with her hands on her hips. When he didn't answer her right away, she shook her head and turned towards the door, ready to start walking to who knows where.

"You know what? Forget it," she said. She sounded resigned to it and fed up. "I'm outta here."

"Woah, wait," he said as he darted forward and grabbed her arm pulling her to look at him. "I brought you here to  _talk_ to you. You know ... talk.  _Words_. I wanna get to know you." She let her gaze drift up to meet his. "You've got some spunk to ya."

She arched an eyebrow at him. This ... this was an angle that she  _hadn't_ heard before. He tipped his head to the side for a second as he continued. "We seem to have some similar past issues. And I don't  _want_ to talk about that crap - but you seem to get it. Which makes me want to know more," he said softly as he broke eye contact.

She searched his face looking for some lie but found none. It didn't seem like a trick to get her sympathetic. She squinted at him as she thought it all over landing on only one conclusion. He was serious. "So what – you want a  _friend_?" she asked, clearly confused. "Because, I gotta tell you, mister, friends don't kiss friends like that."

He smirked at the memory of the heated kiss earlier at Xavier's before and shook his head, his gaze to his hands. "No, I don't want a friend, not that I'd turn it down. Got plenty of those - but I don't kiss my friends like that. Usually." He reached over and pulled her closer by her belt loops and let his hands slide across her back as he took in a deep breath. Out away from the scents of the mansion and the bar and all those people ... he could finally get a good whiff of her ... and it was completely wrecking his focus.

"Well then, I'm – not so sure I can give you what you want," K told him as she put her hands on his chest, ready to push him away even as he pulled her closer. She felt queasy suddenly, nervous at the proximity. This was much different than being in the woods. There was no imminent danger for one. Well. Nothing explosive anyhow.

"Hey. I just wanna spend a little time and get to know you before I scare you off. We just met. Don't gotta jump in and get married, eh?" Logan said, a little hope in his eyes. She stiffened in his arms and narrowed her eyes as she pushed away from him a lot harder than he was expecting.

" _Eh_?" She growled out as she looked ready to fight. " _Now_  you make a joke about my home?"

He laughed, fingers spread wide as he tried to de escalate the situation. "I got no room to joke about that. I'm from Alberta. In the mountains," he confessed, grinning outright at her. "Wasn't picking. I swear."

She looked at him doubtfully. "You're a  _canuck_?" she asked as she looked down her nose at him with the tiniest sneer of distrust.

He didn't like that expression on her face at all. Particularly over something as stupid as his citizenship. "Yeah. Izzat a problem?" He asked, a growl starting up again on his side, but she didn't back down from the growl.

"It might just be," K replied haughtily. "I've always had a strict ' _No Canadians_ ' policy. They're too frickin' polite," She said, eyeing him suspiciously.

He stared at her in disbelief, then yanked her to him as he kissed her hard. She wriggled to slip from his grip, but he quickly pushed her against one of the mossy walls until she pushed on his shoulder and hit him in the ribs. When he finally broke the kiss to look her in the eyes, he didn't release her from the wall. "Is that too polite? Because I can get rude, if that's what ya want," he growled out.

Breathless, she reached up to slap him, a snarl on her lips that fell flat when he just caught her hand. She stared at him openly before she took in a quick breath when he stepped back to give her a little breathing room. He still had a hold of her wrist and she flexed her hands into fists for a second before pointing a finger in his face. "I expect an apology,  _hoser_." He goggled at her open mouthed before she returned the attack, pulling him closer for another heated kiss, though he couldn't quite believe her response.

It quickly moved from just kisses, as he moved down to her neck, working his way to her collarbone with a low growl. But that seemed to wake her up … the growl at her throat.

"Stop," she breathed out, but he continued kissing and nipping at her neck ... until she raised her voice, more assertively. To her surprise, he actually let her go, though he wondered if he'd pushed her too far. "OK. I get it. The polite thing does not  _always_ apply," she said with a shaky voice. "Though that was an acceptable apology."

"That was  _not_ an apology," Logan argued, his hands on her hips and still standing too close. "I don't apologize."

She watched him for a few moments, still a bit shell shocked from the unexpected makeout session and the effect he seemed to have on her.

"I'm going to take it as one anyhow," she replied quietly. "And I … partially take back the crack about Canadians. I'm not planning on getting involved with anyone and this ... is actually the nicest  _gesture_ anyone's done for me in ... years. I wasn't expecting any of this."

"Why not?" he asked, still inches from her face as he spoke softly. "You think you're gonna run? Because that's really not a great idea right now."

She frowned at him. Who was he to tell her what was smart and what wasn't? "What makes you so sure of that?" she asked just as quietly, snaking her arms around his neck. He chuckled and tipped his head down before pulling back and explaining, obviously trying to force himself back on track to why he'd brought her there before all the kissing began. The fact that he needed distance to refocus had K smirking to herself. But after a moment, Logan seemed steeled to his self appointed task.

"The people hunting you  _will_ come looking for you. As sure as I'm breathin' they will come. They're lookin' for ya already. They've got money invested in you, and there's money to be made offa ya. Just a matter of time – and next time? It won't be just a small unit of black ops. They'll come down on you with everything they got." He stepped back a bit more to give her room to escape him if she needed it. "You wanna run? You really wanna go  _back_ to a concrete cell? You miss twisted nut jobs cutting into you while you're wide awake and screaming for them to stop? I'm guessing they threatened you with some awful version of a rape if you didn't behave too, am I gettin' close, princess?" The fire flashed behind his eyes and he closed them to take a deep cleansing breath.

"I know what I'm talking about," Logan said in a strained tone. "If the records Kitty hacked are complete, I  _know_ what the next steps are. You  _don't_ want to go there for it. You won't come out as yourself if you come out at all." His tone was no nonsense, and his jaw was clenched tightly when he finally stopped, the fire casting harsh shadows across his face. She took a step away from the wall ... and toward him.

She was shocked, and she knew now for sure he knew her past - though if it was from his own trouble or whatever Xavier had figured out from his little expedition in her head, she wasn't certain. The two of them stared at each other, frozen. She hadn't said to anyone what she'd been through. She knew no one had told him. But he'd hit the nail on the head about the cells and the threats … and the fact that she knew he was right didn't make this easy at all. They would come. She took a breath and looked toward the fire.

"I didn't sign up for this, you know," K told him as she wrapped her arms around her middle, the silence stretching between them as the fire crackled. She looked to Logan as she shrunk in on herself and finally asked what she had been avoiding, even to herself. "How much worse can it get?"

He took a deep breath and sat down at the little table before he popped his claws in his right hand and held them out for her to see in the firelight.

"This is the next step. If they can get a hold of you, they will drug you and then they'll try to cover your bones in metal – and if you live through it, which, most don't, they'll brainwash you and beat the ever lovin' hell out of you just for fun. They'll see how far they can push you, then they'll turn you into their own private attack dog. You won't have a mind of your own. You'll be a tool for them to use when they want and abuse when they're done." Her gaze met his again as the fire flickered off his claws. "And if my guess is right, if that all works out in their favor, they'll take from you any damn thing they think will make them more money. And you won't have a thing to say about it because as far as the world knows, this ..." he retracted his claws with an echoing  _snakt!_ "Never happened."

She was pensive and still. It was clear that he didn't like it one bit. For the longest time, the cabin was silent but for the crackling fire as he watched her. She stared at him for a while. She found no lie on his face. That's what they'd done to him. Whatever they had planned for her had to be just as bad or worse. A shiver ran down her spine, and he moved closer to her. He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him before he tipped her chin towards him to look her in the face easier.

"You should be safer at Xavier's than anywhere else." Logan said, breaking the near silence in the mossy cabin. She wrinkled her brow as she searched his face. "I'll protect you if you'll let me. I have no plans to leave and I know how they work."

"Why would you take that risk? For a little fun? Come on. You don't know a thing about me. For all you know, they could have sent me here to-" He leaned in and kissed her as K's hand slid up into his hair on the side of his head. As the kiss deepened, her body relaxed and he couldn't help but smile a bit.

"You gonna kill me? Is that what you're trying to say?" Logan challenged and she blushed slightly, shaking her head.

"Maybe," K replied. "You gonna give me a reason to?"

He smiled and shook his head. "You don't have to do a damn thing with me that you don't want to. But ... if you give everyone a shot - we might just have a good time in the process," he replied as he cradled her face in his hand.

"So… what, you lookin' for a girlfriend?" she asked in disbelief. It wasn't a title she usually allowed.

"Yeah, well. Maybe. No tellin' what'll happen down the road," he said casually, though his heart was keeping a little quicker pace.

"I don't know," she replied, she looked like a deer in headlights. "I make a pretty rotten girlfriend. Not very submissive." He smiled as he leaned in closer.

"Don't want you to be anything you're not. And I'm not asking for it today, darlin." he said with a little smile.

She laughed at herself a little nervously and moved away to sit down on the bed – the only real viable looking option for seating other than his lap and that was a little … well. She let out a breath. There were no PG rated seats in this cabin. He joined her after a beat or two and when she turned her head to look at him, they quickly started where they left off.


	6. A New Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the date, and Jubilee has opinions about things.

 

* * *

The sound of birds chirping got K to stir. She was reluctant to open her eyes, quite comfortable where she was. The evening had gone so incredibly well that she simply was afraid that it had been a dream. The sun wasn't quite up yet, and the air was chilly outside of her little blanket cocoon.

As she stretched out, her new lover's heavy arm squeezed her, pulling her closer into his warm, hairy chest. As she readjusted her body, he snuggled into her, nuzzling his face into her hair, still half asleep and clearly not ready to wake up himself. She looked around the cabin without picking up her head. The dust they'd disturbed the night before had all settled, and out the window she saw some of the first leaves of fall drifting down in the sunlight. This was her favorite time of year.

She realized that most of her naked form that wasn't pressed against Logan was a little chilled, so she turned slowly to face him, inadvertently waking him. Still sleepy, he cracked an eye open and lifted his head, a bit of a frown on his face at being disturbed. But, then he lifted his arm just enough that she could move into the position she wanted, or get up if she chose. He smiled when he realized she was snuggling in closer. She draped her arm over his torso and rested her head inches from his. He threw his leg over hers and pulled her in as he snuggled in with her again placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

This had not gone at all like he'd planned – he wasn't about to complain, of course. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had so much fun - or slept so well. But he did wonder what came next.

Surprising herself, K actually ended up dozing again for a little while before Logan decided to wake her up. He started out by stroking her hair and gently caressing her back. She squirmed in the most delicious way and got a smile from him. He continued to see how far he could get until she leaned forward and kissed him. In short order, she returned his affection without a word spoken between them.

They'd barely woken up and things got heated again. Unlike the night before though, when they'd finished screwing around, she gave him a quick kiss and slipped away from him, up and out of the dusty bed. She boldly walked towards the door, stark naked.

"Where the hell are you goin?" He asked as he reached for his jeans next to the bed. She looked over her shoulder with the morning sun shining brightly through the windows as she opened the door.

"I have to use the little girls room, and this place has no plumbing. Don't worry. I'm not running off too far. I'll be right back," she said with a little smile before she stepped out into the woods. He smiled as she walked out. He'd only ever seen a handful of women so comfortable being naked ... and outdoors to boot.

She didn't go far from the cabin. She only looked until she found a place that didn't have any poison ivy, and a little bit of privacy where she could try to regain her thoughts. As far as feral behavior went, the night before had to have been textbook for something – she was sure of it.

She could hardly find her own scent on her skin – not that she was complaining … it was just a new experience, which for her was something amazing. She let out a sigh and simply walked back to the cabin to look for her clothes. When she returned, Logan was nearly finished getting dressed, and had put all of her things on the bed for her. She smiled when she saw the little gesture, not surprised in the least when he sat on the bed and just watched her. The way he paid attention made her stomach flip and she kept stealing glances at him between pulling on garments.

"Enjoying the show?" K asked as she straightened out the shirt she'd just pulled over her head. Logan just smiled and slowly finished doing up the buttons his flannel shirt before leaning back and resting on one elbow.

"More fun to watch when they're comin' off," he replied, getting her to pause in her re-dressing and give him a delightful smile with a slight blush. He grinned on seeing the color rise in her cheeks.

"You… are a terrible influence," she accused, though all that got her was another kiss. Again. No complaints.

Once they were both situated, they started the walk back to the Harley. Again, as they trekked the trail, he didn't let her hand go – their fingers entwined this time. He only readjusted his grip to help her over the rocks and to catch her when she slipped once. When they got to where the bike was parked, he opened up one of the saddlebags and pulled out a rag to wipe down the seat from the morning dew that had settled on it. He slipped the key into the ignition and it roared to life on the first try. He let it idle for a few minutes as she climbed on and got comfortable.

This time she didn't wait for him to ask before she scooted close and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled to himself before he started to navigate back down his weaving trail to the gravel road. As they left the parking area, they spotted a doe that was crossing the road with her two fawns. He stopped and killed the engine a hundred yards back from them, watching as the little ones took their time to cross.

Once he knew they were well off the road, he fired it back up and putted to the main road where he turned in the wrong direction from the mansion and opened it up, the engine roaring as they flew down the road. She leaned a little closer to him as they he met his speed and she rested her hands on his thighs. After a few minutes she realized he was having a little trouble concentrating, so she readjusted her hands and slid them up his stomach, under his shirt. Her cold hands woke him up better than the hike out did, and helped him to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. They rode out another 10 miles or so before he pulled into a little diner. She looked at him doubtfully as she got off the bike.

"Thought we could use a bite away from everyone at the house," he explained as he slipped his hand to the small of her back – a gentlemanly gesture as he guided her to the door. "I'm sure the girls'll give you twenty questions."

The waitress told them to pick a spot, so he found another booth that was easy enough to watch the doors from. She brought them coffee and left the menu on the table as she went to take care of a couple of old timers at the counter.

They ate their breakfast in silence. He slipped his hand over hers to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. They kept stealing glances at each other as they sat together, both were smirking to themselves. Though they didn't know it, one of the old timers at the counter had been watching them over his coffee, a little smile on his wrinkled face.

When Logan went to pay the tab, the waitress told him to forget it. The old man had already covered them. When Logan tried to give the man his money, he waved him off as he told him in a shaky voice that watching the two of them reminded him of the morning after he and his wife spent the night together for the first time before they'd gotten married. She'd passed away a few years back, and their quiet display simply reminded him of his lost love. Logan thanked him, and K gave the old man a kiss on the cheek as Logan left the cash as a tip for the waitress before the two of them left the diner.

K looked over her shoulder at the old man as they left, only to get a wrinkled smile and a wink before Logan pushed her gently through the open door.

* * *

When they returned to the mansion, breakfast had cleared and all of the residents had already dispersed intent on enjoying their Saturday. They made their way past the scatterings of teenagers and were almost up the stairs when they heard footsteps behind them. K looked over her shoulder to see a brightly dressed Asian girl giving her a death stare. She turned back around as Logan put his hand at her waist, urging her forward.

"Somethin' on yer mind, Jubes?" Logan asked without bothering to turn around. Jubilee huffed as they reached the top of the steps but didn't reply. "If you don't got something to say, then I ain't got times for games today, Jubilation," Logan said as he finally turned to look at her.

"How come you didn't come in last night?" Jubilee asked, her glare still focused on the little brunette at his side.

"None of yer business, Jubes. You ain't my keeper," Logan replied firmly before he turned around and walked towards his room, holding K close to his side.

Totally frustrated, Jubilee shouted after him. "You know, you were supposed to meet me this morning. You  _said_ you were going to spend some time with me since I haven't seen you in nearly a month!" Jubilee barked out, her arms crossed over her chest and her hip cocked out. She didn't know this woman with him, but already she sure didn't like her. Logan sighed, his shoulders falling as he released K from his grip and turned back to Jubilee.

"Didn't mean to blow you off, Jubes. I got caught up with things, we had some talkin' to do and we're not done yet. How 'bout I take you out tomorrow for breakfast?" Logan offered to her, a simple attempt to to try and smooth things over with the angry teen.

Jubilee narrowed her eyes and looked him over, her chest was puffed out and her arms uncrossed as she weighed it out to herself. "Make it lunch and you have a deal. I'm  _not_ waking up early tomorrow. Scott made me do drills with him when you didn't show," she informed him in a pouting tone as her anger had finally started to ebb.

"You got it kiddo," Logan promised with a smirk before he ruffled her hair, earning a frustrated noise as she batted his hand away. When he turned back to his date, it was just in time to see K's door close behind her. Shocked, he stifled a growl and made his way directly to her door. He knocked as he let himself in – with no intention to wait for her to answer.

"What the hell did you walk off for?" He asked as she tossed her shirt into the laundry basket waiting in the closet.

She watched him as she unbuttoned her jeans. "You were having a conversation that was clearly none of my business. I'm not going to interrupt you or stick my nose where it doesn't belong. Besides, I needed to hop in the shower after last night. I'm all – dusty and dirty," K explained as she finished undressing and turned towards the sound of running water. He watched as she turned her back to him and she stepped into the bathroom.

With a little predatory growl, he tossed his cowboy hat on her bed and kicked off his boots before he stripped down and followed her in, closing the bathroom door behind him.

A few hours later, the two new lovers were still in bed, lazily enjoying each others company and ravaging each other as the mood hit them.

It wasn't until Jean knocked on the door and told K in a strained voice that she had a danger room session with Scott the next morning that they even considered getting dressed. Or, K did, to be more accurate.

"You two have  _effectively_ kicked off the rumor mill, just so you know," Jean said quietly from the other side of the door with an amused tone.

Logan and K looked at each other a moment before Logan got irritated and shouted back at her. "Any of it accurate?" he growled out.

Jean barely stifled a laugh but still answered him all the same. "Well, not yet. We'll have to see if any of our young telepaths can pick up on what you two have been up to all day - broadcasting all day, that is. Especially at certain … moments." The smile was clear in her voice as she turned and walked away.

The two ferals shared a glance as they listened to Jean's retreating footsteps. "I guess we're going to have to do consider doing something else for a while," K said as she tossed the blanket back and swung her feet over the edge of the bed.

"Oh no. They're all old enough to know not to pry ... besides, they've already took sex ed. Most of 'em are chasin' tail ninety percent of the time anyhow," he replied as he reached up and pulled her back next to him. He pulled the blanket up over them again and redoubled his decision not to let her get out of arm's reach.

* * *

K walked into the kitchen ahead of Logan at dinner time only to find pizza boxes piled up everywhere. People were buzzing in and out of the kitchen, students and teachers alike. They were getting ready for movies, and Jubilee was front and center sitting with Chloe and Zoe. The three of them were having a ball, laughing and giggling with their heads together.

K watched them for a moment and simply enjoyed the fact that they _c_ _ould_ act like normal kids until Jubilee glanced up and spotted her. The teen's smile fell from her face as she stared at her. K noted that Jubes' friends had to ask her the same question three times before she even started to hear what they were trying to say. The little firecracker continued to watch K, though she did manage to respond to her friends ... at least until Logan came in a short time later and slid his hand across K's back as he stood next to her.

Jubilee fell silent again when Logan leaned in to kiss K behind the ear then pulled back grinning at her. That was it. Jubilee decided it was high time to do some recon on the stranger that she  _thought_ Logan had simply brought home from the bar.

"So, you have some special time with Scooter tomorrow, eh?" Logan asked K, as he cracked open a can of beer and set it in front of his new lover. She picked it up and stared at it a moment, nodded her head and sighed before she took a healthy slug of it.

"That's what I'm told. What is the Danger Room, and what the hell is it for? Sounds like a crappy dance club," K replied as she set the can down and looked over the offerings in front of her. She picked up a slice of pizza from the nearest box when she decided she really didn't care what was on it.

Logan smirked and began to tell her what she was in for in the morning. He emphasized that Scott never ran the same simulation twice for newcomers. He was clear that the purpose of the exercise would be to see what she could do, and how far he could push her. She thought it sounded suspiciously like something the Weapons Plus people would do, and wondered how painful the experience would be.

Betsy 'overheard' her concern and pulled up a chair with them. "It's not what you think," Betsy began. "It's not a torture test, it's more of an exercise. A means to measure what you can do. And you'll do  _fine_ ," she assured her before she rose up again to join Warren on a love seat he'd managed to kick a few overly affectionate teens off of. Logan watched Betsy and Warren get cozy before he turned back to K and casually mentioned that his morning was free since Jubes preferred a lunch date with him.

K smiled and nodded her head. "You wanna watch me fall on my face? Ok. Sure," K replied with a smirk. He returned the little smile and stole a quick kiss.

"I doubt you'll fall on your face," he replied as he leaned close to her. She broke the stare and looked at the can in her hand as he sat back.

 _Yeah,_  she thought to herself.  _He's been through more than I have. He probably has an idea of what I can and can't do already._  Honestly though, she thought that having Logan around might be a good way to ease her nerves for something as treacherous as an evaluation. She had no idea why he calmed her, but he did. All it took was his gentle touch ... or better still a moment with her nose pressed against the nape of his neck.

Not long into the movie, Logan completely lost interest in the film. He found himself looking at the little brunette next to him that smelled like the forest and freshwater ... with just a light hint of floral. "Why don't we go outside and take a walk in the moonlight instead of listening to the garbage movie the kids picked out," Logan suggested. She readily agreed as the kids burst out laughing at the scene on the screen.

As they walked around the grounds, Logan pointed out some of the finer points as they went. The boathouse, pool, basketball and tennis courts ... when he mentioned the stables though, she stopped in her tracks.

"Are there horses in there?" she asked, looking towards the stable in the distance.

"Yeah, hard to have a stable with no horses," he replied. "You wanna take a look?" She nodded and put her arm back around him as he led her there. Once inside, he flipped on the light just beyond the door, and almost instantly a chorus of nickers started up all around them. She grinned in spite of herself as Logan chuckled a bit at the animals. He cracked open a door to his left to pull out a couple of scoops of grain while K hugged herself and smiled sedately, watching him make the rounds.

"Alright, ya spoiled nags. I got yer feed," Logan muttered to the impatient equines as he made his way down the bank of stalls. He dropped a few handfuls worth into each bin, rubbing a forehead here and there as he gave each of them a little treat. K smiled with her eyes closed and stepped forward slowly as the sound of horses chewing filled the stable.

Once he'd given them a taste of grain, he went around again to toss a little hay to each of them. She pulled up a bale of hay and sat down in the middle of the aisle, her back against a stall front as the horse directly behind her munched and crunched away. She again closed her eyes and listened to them eat. The smells and sounds in the barn made her smile sedately.

"Horse lover?" he asked as he took a seat next to her. She just smiled a little wider, taking it in. She nodded before she opened her eyes and turned to look at him. She was stunned at the way he was smiling at her.

"My family had horses  _years_ ago. I grew up riding them around through the woods and plowed fields. I haven't ridden in way too long, though," she admitted quietly.

He smiled at her little confession. She was a country girl at heart. Loved animals, quiet, and the forest. Her list of positives just kept growing. "What kind of kid were you?" he asked, purely out of curiosity. "Cause you seem like pure trouble now."

She laughed at his assessment. "Oh, I don't know. I was littler than most kids. Not the youngest, but I was the smallest. I used to hide from the big kids until I got beat up really badly by one of them." She shrugged her shoulders up to her ears. "Something in my head snapped and I chased that kid down and pounded the hell out of him. Every time I saw him that summer I glared at him until he left, and if he refused to leave, I beat the hell out of him again." She laughed a little at the memory.

Logan smiled her way, watching her closely. He could just see in his minds' eye a tiny brunette girl in pigtails wailing on some unfortunate boy. " You know, he probably had a crush on you. You likely broke his young heart," Logan chuckled, which got him to turn his way with a smirk.

"He's lucky I didn't break something else. He had it coming. 'Boys will be boys' never was a valid excuse to be mean to girls... he hit me first, but I hit him  _harder_ ," K replied with a sparkle in her eyes that made him grin. He leaned in closer and kissed the smile off her face. Before long, things progressed in the barn to the point that Logan swept her up and carried her up to the hay loft.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jubilee had started asking the kids around her about the new woman. She learned her name from Paige Guthrie, who'd overheard some of the teachers discussing her when she was in Dr. McCoy's lab. Once her name was out, Chloe and Zoe piped up over the speculation of how she'd appeared at Xavier's.

"That's not what happened at all," Chloe said as she quickly started the task of dispelling the incorrect gossip. "We were  _with her_ when Mr. Summers came and got us."

"Yeah," Zoe confirmed. "She saved our butts a lot before those soldiers caught up to us. She's kinda scary when she gets wound up."

"What do you mean?" Jubilee asked as the group left the movie and found a quiet spot to talk, far removed from the bulk of the student body.

"She's like a wild woman," Chloe explained, Zoe nodded her head in agreement. "I don't know how she does it. One minute she's just fine and then the next she's all … _rawr_ ."

"Oh, and she heals really fast," Zoe added. Jubilee's mouth was hanging open.

"Yeah – do you remember when that one biker guy shot her?" Chloe tossed in, getting animated as she relived it.

"Yeah, that was _scary_ ," Zoe agreed. "But she like, just stood up real slow then took the gun from him and pistol whipped him." Zoe scrunched up her nose. "That was the first time I figured out what pistol whipping was. It was  _crazy_ ! Her tiny little self pounding on that big guy ..."

Jubilee was flabbergasted. So that's why Wolvie was interested in this woman. She was a rabble rouser with similar abilities. She wondered if K had claws, and found herself asking the question before she could censor herself.

"Mmm Hmm," Chloe said, nodding matter-of-factly. "How did you know? They're like crazy freaky, but not like, you know, freaky like Professor Logan's. He's just scary." Jubilee turned to Chloe.

"You mean hers are bone?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?" Zoe asked, frowning at her new friend as she looked like she was processing something very important.

Jubilee suddenly  _had_ to talk to Wolvie. Did he know all this? Were those guys that were chasing K after Logan too?  _They had to be_. She got up and started to look for him. When she didn't see him around the crowd, she ran to his room – only to find it empty. Then, she started looking outside, she froze in her tracks when she heard the two of them chuckling in the hay loft. And she very quickly realized what was going on.

"Oh,  _eeew_ ," she said whispered with a full body shiver before she turned around and rushed back to the house. She thought she'd scrubbed the mental image of them out of her brain when they walked into the door, twenty minutes later, hay stuck to their clothes and poking out of her hair here and there, Both were smiling and they were walking hand in hand just a little too close for it to be too casual.

" _Gag_ ," Jubilee mumbled, though Logan's gaze locked onto her, and she tried to act innocent. When the little couple slipped toward the stairs, Jubilee took her chances and followed them at a distance. She waited a few minutes before she knocked on his door once he'd kissed K good night and went across the hall to his room.

"It's open, Jubes," he said, tiredly. He'd already changed his jeans for sweats and was standing barefooted and bare chested pulling hay out of his hair in the mirror when she walked in and closed the door behind her.

"So," Jubes said, totally unable to make small talk as she walked over to take a seat on his bed. "Tell me about this new …  _person_."

He turned to her and carefully appraising his adoptive daughter before he took a seat next to her and answered what he thought she wanted to know. "She's not goin' anywhere Jubes," Logan said. "Not if I have any say in it."

"OK, fine.  _Whatever_. But – what about the people that are after her?" she asked, looking concerned as she worried her lip.

"You thinking of her or me?" he asked striking to the heart of it.

She floundered for a moment under his glare before answering. "Well,  _you_ ," she replied quietly, her gaze on the floor.

He sighed before he turned to face her better. "Jubes, they're  _not_ going to come after me. They've known where I am for years. I was written off a long time ago. But... they still want her, and I say they can't have her. I won't let them," he said with a growl before he let out a deep breath and took a seat next to her. Jubilee was quiet and didn't look like she liked the sound of it at all.

"Listen," Logan said softly. "She's got a morning session with Scott. I'm going to watch. Why don't you drag your lazy butt out of bed and come down too. You can sit with me and we can figure out what they want her for. Besides, you oughta meet her. She's not bad." He gave her a quick squeeze and just watched her.

Jubilee thought about it a second and nodded her head before she wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him back. "Yeah. I guess I should meet her before I decide I hate her, I suppose," she mumbled, hoping he didn't hear. Logan chose to ignore the comment and instead wished her a good night and saw her out.

When he was sure Jubilee was gone, he hesitated at his door, holding his breath and listening hard for anyone before he slipped across the hall to K's room. He didn't bother knocking this time when he let himself in. She looked up at him with a smile as he crossed the room and got right down to the business of trying to coax her to his bed. It didn't take much coaxing though, and as soon as she agreed, she found herself draped over his shoulder with one hand covering her mouth to keep from laughing as he ran her back to his room. He barely slowed down enough to kick the door closed behind him.


	7. Evaluation Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jubilee gets a better look at the new woman, and Scott finally gets the evaluation he was asking for.

 

* * *

Jubilee was rudely awakened by the sound of her roommate, Paige, snoring. Bleary eyed, she looked at her alarm clock and groaned.  _NO. Too early!_ she thought as the numbers flashed back  **6:05 AM**. She tried to hide under her pillow, and when that didn't work, she threw it at Paige. It stopped her from snoring for a moment before she launched back into a very unladylike like imitation of a buzz saw.

Jubes groaned dramatically, then rolled onto her side as she realized that she wasn't going to be able to sleep in. She thought over her conundrum and came to a sudden realization.

Wolvie  _had_  invited her to check out the new recruit that he just happened to be ... um ...  _dating_. She rolled her eyes as she covered her ears to block the snoring. Just thinking about K made Jubilee cranky. She didn't like to share what little time she had with Wolvie – especially with some little woman that had so much in common with him. She tried to convince herself that it was just mutations that the pair shared. She was smart enough to realize however, that if Wolvie really did end up falling for this ...  _woman_  ... that pissing her off could make the little time she got with him disappear all together. At least, if his past lovers were any indicator. And they probably were.  _Come to think of it, she's probably just evil,_  Jubilee thought to herself, the idea for some reason making her smirk as she stretched out.

She decided to try to be a little nicer, you know – keep your enemies close and all that. But as she thought about it, that wasn't exactly right. K wasn't an enemy. She didn't think. In fact, if what the new girls had told her was even half true, she was probably a good person. K didn't  _have_ to help Chloe and Zoe, but she did without even knowing them.

 _Shoot. That sounds a lot like what Wolvie would do,_  Jubilee thought, sighing to herself before she stood up and stretched again. May as well get dressed. She hoped that maybe she could go catch him early and grab a bite with him first thing after all.

She tied her shoes and slipped out of her shared room with Paige before she tiptoed down to the teacher's wing to see if Wolvie was up yet. He rarely, if ever, locked the door and he would probably be either waking up or already up by now, so she didn't bother to knock before she let herself in. She instantly wished she hadn't.

For the first time in her memory, he didn't wake up when she opened the door. She stood there for a moment, partly in shock, partly seething and partly disgusted. He was soundly asleep with  _her_  head on his chest. She was draped halfway across him, and both of them were clearly passed out from staying up way too late. What they'd been doing was  _obvious_... but Jubes didn't want to think about it. Her cringe factor was through the roof. 

Logan's arm was around _her_ , possessively, and he looked more peaceful than Jubilee had ever really seen him. With her face burning in embarrassment and anger, Jubilee backed out of his room.

* * *

At the metallic click of the doorknob, K's eyes popped open and she looked around the room as best she could without moving. When she couldn't see the source of the disturbance, she lifted her head a few inches as she tried to see the door or some sign of who had closed it. She was too close to Logan's chest to smell much more than him though. When she lifted her head a bit more, Logan's arm automatically gave her a squeeze before he began to stretch out.

"What's wrong, darlin? Up a little early aren't ya?" he asked as he pulled her up so he could kiss her. She returned his kiss, but she felt a little stiff in his arms, and his eyes opened fully as he wondered what had her on edge.

"I think someone was just in here," K said quietly before she glanced toward the door and pulled his sheet up to cover herself better. Logan sat up and let his arm fall from her before he got up, and walked toward the door, scenting the air as he went. Ten paces or so before he got there, he let out a little sigh.

"Jubilee," he said as he turned back to K. "How did she get in here without waking me up?"

K just smirked at him and shrugged as she rearranged the sheet covering her. " _Maybe_  you were a little worn out and needed some beauty sleep. Did you do anything strenuous last night?" she asked, doing her best to look completely innocent with her chin resting in her palm. He had to shake his head at the way the morning sun was catching in her dark hair and completely distracting him from what he was _trying_ to do. He grinned at her in reply and he stalked back to the bed. He grabbed her knee and yanked her towards him before kissed her into the pillows. When the kiss broke, he gave her a little slap on the leg she had pulled over his hip.

"Knock it off, troublemaker. You have a session in a little bit, and I gotta go find Jubes now. She's probably pissed off," he explained as he pinned her hands near her head and she gave him a little growl. She looked at his arms, then up to his face.

"Why are you holding me down then? Afraid I'll do something you might like?" She smiled up to him.

He chuckled low in return. "Yeah. 'Cuz like I said, you're a troublemaker." He kissed her again until she wrapped her leg around him, getting him to break the kiss with a growl. "So much  _trouble_ ," he accused before he reluctantly released her wrists and she smiled up at him. He took a moment or two then slowly got up. He looked like he was weighing out his choices as he watched her and finally let out all of his breath.

She looked around for her clothes as she sat up. All she had worn had been strewn across the floor. She couldn't find her pajamas. She wrapped his sheet around herself again and looked around a little harder, as she knelt on his bed. She was trying to clutch the sheet across her chest and hold her hair out of her face at once as Logan turned to watch her while her back was to him. She didn't realize the image she'd just made for him, with the early morning sun making her skin glow as it reflected the coppery highlights in her hair ... and her with nothing on but sheet, he couldn't help but let out a low sound of disbelief.

"I can't find my clothes," she informed him as she sat back on her heels and glanced over her shoulder at him. It wasn't exactly a complaint, but it was clear she was trying to decide how best to leave the room.

"You're not going to either, sweetheart," Logan told her as he slipped his jeans on and sat back on the bed. He ran his hand down her back and her face wrinkled into a frown.

She whipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned toward him. "What did you do to me?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously while pulling the sheet tighter and higher up her chest as if to cover herself from his gaze. As if she was shy.

He smiled then gently slid his hands around her waist and nibbled at her neck, earning a little smile.

"You don't remember?" he asked in a rough voice as he kissed her shoulder from behind her, smiling against her neck as he pulled her a little closer. She shook her head as she leaned backward into him.

All at once, he stopped his advances and grinned. "Good," he replied with a smirk, moving to pick out a clean shirt for himself. "Then I did something right last night."

K turned to him with an open mouthed look before she had to laugh. "Yes, you certainly did," she said before she nearly leapt out of bed, the sheet abandoned on the floor as she headed for the door. When her hand touched the knob he darted forward to push the door shut loudly again.

"You can't go out there naked," he told her as he blocked the door and she stood bare in front of him.

But she drew herself up and started ticking off her reasons on her fingers. "You trashed my clothes. I don't have any here, and it's the teacher's wing,  _and_ if what Jean told us is true, they all know what we're doing anyhow," she listed off. "Is it really a big deal if a teacher sees me walking across the hallway?"

He wrinkled his face into a scowl. "To me it is." His tone and expression were deadly serious as he glanced around the room. "Here," he handed her one of his flannel shirts. "At least put this on until you get across the hall."

She looked down at the offered shirt with her jaw off to one side, considering him for a moment before she took the shirt and slipped it on, ready to go without buttoning it up.

" _Wait,_ " he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, shaking his head at her. He gave her a glare as he began to button up the shirt for her, growling quietly as he did so.

She smiled as he did it, one hand on her hip as she watched him. "Little possessive there, aren't you, big guy?" she teased, knowing full well that was entirely the problem. She was amused that he didn't seem to want to flat out admit it, though actions spoke volumes.

He growled a bit louder and gave her a kiss before he swatted her backside as she slipped across the hall. Once he saw that she was in her room with the door shut, he slipped on an old red flannel and went after Jubilee.

He didn't have to go too far. She was in the kitchen, scarfing down a big bowl of that sugary crap she liked so much as she glowered at the cabinetry. "Mornin' Jubes," he said in a calm, conversational tone, as he started up a pot of coffee. She glared at his back while he set up the coffee maker. As he turned around, she rolled her eyes and focused on her cereal. "Up awful early for someone plannin' on sleepin' in."

She pointedly ignored him as he took a seat across from her. "Yeah," she grumped between bites."Well,  _your_ roommate doesn't snore," Jubilee snapped as she glared at him openly.

He almost had to laugh. She was  _jealous_. "Jubilation," he said quietly as he tipped his head her direction. "Is there a reason you're acting like this? Because I gotta tell ya, kiddo – if what I think is your reason is what's got you all pissy – well, it better not be." He looked dead serious.

She stared at him for a moment in disbelief. "Oh, eeew.  _No!_ " She scoffed as she rolled her eyes and pushed her cereal away. "As if! You're like, totally old, and ugh. No. Way."

He stared at her as she crossed her arms. He just didn't understand the girl. "Then what the hell is your problem?" he barked back as he lost his patience.

She groaned, and rested her head on her fist glaring at him, jiggling her foot and trying to find a way to tell him without sounding like a  _kid_. "I just -" she started to explain then gave up with a frustrated groan while Logan waited patiently for her to continue. "I  _miss_ you," she whispered, half hoping he wouldn't hear.

The tension melted from his shoulders and he stood to circle the table and pull up a chair next to her as he rested his arm on the back of her chair. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I know it's been hard on you, but I don't really plan on havin' to be gone so much for a while."

She looked up at him with an expression that plainly read she'd heard all that before.

"I'll make it up to you somehow, but for now, try to get to know this woman before you write her off. You might just like her," he told her as he kissed the top of her head.

Jubilee sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist returning the hug as K padded silently into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She smiled at Jubilee and took her mug outside, clearly an attempt to give her some privacy with Logan.

Suddenly, Jubes felt guilty at how she'd judged her. She hadn't  _tried_  to monopolize him purposely. In fact, she realized suddenly that when she was shouting at Logan at the top of the stairs, K had tactfully disappeared, clearly she didn't want to even witness their raised conversation. Few in the mansion would have done that, if anyone at all. She moved to break the hug and kissed Logan on the cheek. "I've been a jerk, haven't I?" she asked.

The corner of his mouth pulled up and he shook his head no.

"Sorry, Wolvie," she said quietly as she looked out the window toward K's back. As she stared at the little woman, Scott jogged up to the patio, just coming in from his run and took a seat next to K, smiling warmly and leaning toward her. "I'll see you in a little bit. Do you think she'd like to join us for lunch?" Jubes asked. If he said she was alright, she'd at least give her a shot.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" He replied. "You comin' down to watch her evaluation?"

"Evaluation?" Jubilee tipped her head to the side with a frown. "You mean, they haven't done that yet?" She was surprised at the news. She'd been here a  _week_ anyhow. Scott was usually really pushy about getting new people evaluated immediately.

"Long story," Logan replied with a grim tone before he glanced out to watch her and Scott. "Involves an exploding inhibitor."

She pulled a face in sympathy before a smirk replaced her grimace. "Soooo, Scott brought her home, so it's not a weekend fling ... not your style to pick up new girls ... unless …" She nudged him in the ribs with a teasing smile. "You're movin' kinda fast aren't ya, big kahuna?" she teased.

He glared at her and acted like he was going to bite her as she jumped up, laughing.

"OK, OK, I got it. Mind my own beeswax. Whatever. I'll see you in a few," she said as she backed out of the kitchen and Logan stood and walked over to finally snag a cup of coffee. He leaned against the counter, a little irritation rising as he watched Scott and K joke easily on the patio. What the hell was Slim up to, anyhow? His eyes narrowed as he heard her easy laughter through the door. Scott leaned closer to her, smiling as she laughed at whatever it was he'd had to say. She stood up, said something to him that got a chuckle and headed back into the kitchen with a smile for Logan as she entered the door. She walked up and gave Logan a quick kiss before she turned to rinse out her cup.

As she did so, Logan stepped up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a kiss behind her ear. She smiled wider and leaned back into him as he gave her a light squeeze. She turned in his arms and put her hands on the sides of his face to kiss him deeply as Scott came in.

Scott's smile fell and he cleared his throat, but the new couple totally ignored him save for Logan deepening the kiss further as her hand slid into his soft black hair. Determined to act indifferent, Scott quietly poured himself a cup of coffee and stepped around the two of them as he headed out of the kitchen and they continued their little semi-public display.

When the kiss finally ended, it was to a small applause from Bobby, Remy, Jean and Jubilee. Logan moved his head to one side to look over K's shoulder then gave her a quick nip on the neck which made her jump sideways. She playfully swatted at him and started to head towards the elevator, Jean following hot on her heels with a smile on her face.

"So," Jean began, "I guess I was  _wrong_." She bumped K with her shoulder. "Looks like you two are getting along really well."

K gave her a sidelong glance and shrugged noncommittally as a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Who knows. Could end tomorrow," K replied quietly.

Jean scoffed. "I've never seen him like this before," she admitted. "And you're not giving me  _anything._  Come on, can't you give me  _any_ details?" Jean asked.

K raised an eyebrow and started to chuckle. "Details? Well ... " she shrugged and let her mouth open for a moment as she tried to word it out properly. "All I can tell you is that he moves fast, and  _knows_  what the hell he's doing. Outside of that – no, I really don't think so on the details." She gave the redhead a crooked little smirk that had Jean beaming at her.

When the elevator doors opened, Jean pulled her towards the locker rooms. "Fine. Be that way, but if you're going into your evaluation, you're going to need a uniform. Something that's easy to move in." She tipped her head to the side. "I think I have just the right one for you." Jean gave her a grin as and opened a door in the back of the women's locker room. She pulled out a black bodysuit that had a few seams that accentuated the figure with red piping.

"I was going to use this one, but the sleeves and legs came out too short. I'll bet it will fit you just about right," she explained as she handed her the garment.

K nodded and started to strip on the spot. But Jean clearly was not expecting her lack of modesty and turned her back to her quickly. "I can leave," she offered as her face turned red and she chuckled to herself.

"Why?" K asked as she started to slip into the uniform "I don't have anything you haven't seen before." She zipped the front up and Jean helped her to find a pair of boots to round out the uniform. K looked down at herself and then up at Jean. "Yeah … red is not your color," she said, getting a little laugh out of her.

Within a few minutes Jean sent her into the danger room and wished her luck.

At first, K was spooked as the door sealed to the big metal room. She jumped when Scott spoke over the intercom, and she whipped her head up, a little panic hitting her when she saw the observation room above. Scenes from somewhere else flashed in the back of her mind and she had to take a few steps back, not quite hearing all that Scott was telling her. When the lights dimmed a bit, she suddenly felt very trapped and began to breathe quickly and shallowly as her hands made a move to smooth the fabric over her stomach, not that there was anything to smooth.

* * *

Hank was watching the readouts on the screen as Logan and Scott watched the little woman. He wrinkled his brow when he saw her pulse and respiration jump then peeked over the other's shoulders as he looked down at her, expecting the equipment to be malfunctioning. But it was clear that saw she was indeed breathing heavy and fast. She had slipped into a half crouch, and looked like she was ready to spring at anything.

"Why is she so tense? What's going on down there – you didn't start the simulation did you?" Hank asked Scott. Scott was confused as he watched her movements too.

"No, I just closed the door," Scott replied, bewildered as he double checked the controls.

"Jean, what's happening with her?" he asked his wife as she walked in the booth. She leaned towards the glass and did a quick scan of the little feral woman below.

"Change the scenery, Scott. She's panicking. It's the room and the booth, I think. It seems like it's familiar to her," Jean replied with a frown, concerned about the woman's mental state.

Logan watched her move as he rose to his feet. She looked like a tightly coiled spring ready to snap. His stomach fell a bit as he remembered a similar room that they'd put him in years ago in the Weapons Plus project.

Logan frowned to himself as he made the connection and started toward the door. "Scott, get her out of there now," Logan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Not at a time like that. He didn't look back to make sure Scott was complying as he rushed out of the booth. Scott started pushing buttons to change the scenery when Logan punched in his override code and slipped into the room with her before Scott closed it behind him. She whipped her head his way, clear panic on her face as her chest heaved and she stared at him wide-eyed.

He approached her slowly hands open and fingers splayed, trying to calm her down. "Easy now, darlin'. I'm not gonna hurt you. You  _know_ that," Logan told her in his most soothing tones while Scott, Hank, and Jean shared a look in the control booth.

"Logan, what the hell are you doing?" Scott's voice echoed down.

"Scenery, Scott - Change it  _QUICK_  – woods, forest, jungle – anything green, just do it quick," Logan barked back at Scott without taking his eyes off of K as he slowly approached her.

With a locked jaw, Scott quickly punched in the first forest simulation that popped up on the screen without bothering to read it, knowing that it shouldn't have been a problem since he hadn't gotten around to picking out any foes. This wasn't what he was hoping to see in an evaluation.

Logan started to talk to K, and his voice slowly began to break through to her. He never broke eye contact as he spoke, but when she started to blink, he knew he was getting through to her. Her shoulders and arms started to relax incrementally until Logan heard a familiar growl behind him. He instinctively tensed as Creed's voice began to chuckle from the lush green forest around them. He never expected what happened next though.

The growl that came from K was truly frightening. It was so low that it was nearly inaudible. All those in the control booth felt a chill up their spine as they felt the growl before the sound actually reached them. Her eyes had narrowed to slits and Logan realized a split second after she rushed him that she wasn't going for him. He ducked down at her running approach and she actually stepped on his back, using him as a launchpad as she threw herself at the simulated Sabretooth creeping up behind him.

Logan rolled after she stepped on him and simply watched the carnage from the ground in total shock.

Creed was as vicious as he ever was, but she was fast and ruthless. He got in some nasty hits on her, slicing her from knee to armpit, but she acted as though she never felt it. The battle waged both ways, each gained and lost ground and those in the control booth were simply in stunned as they witnessed the amount of bloodshed and violence happening that for once  _wasn't_  at Wolverine's hands.

With a cracking sound, Creed pinned her against the wall by her throat. Her feet dangled over the floor by a solid foot as she struggled in his grip, snarling and growling the whole time. To Logan's horror, as her face turned purple and her arms began to fail her, she worked her feet up to Creed's throat and pushed him off of her with everything she had. She got her throat half torn up in the process, but she was out of his grip, lying crumpled on the ground. She was bleeding profusely as Creed came up toward her again.

She wavered as he lunged, but moved at the last possible moment and launched herself onto his back, one set of claws buried in his shoulder. As he howled in rage, she took her hand off of her neck wound and used both sets of her claws to decapitate him. She kicked out, and booted Creed's decapitated head away from her as she fell across his chest, finally blacking out from blood loss as Logan reached her. He wrapped his hands around her throat to stop her from bleeding out entirely while Hank ran to her aide.

The booth was silent as Hank and Logan rushed around her, trying to help her. Hank was trying to start an IV for an infusion as Logan used his boot to move part of her shredded bloodied uniform away from the wound on her side. He waited to see it pull together before he'd turn his attention elsewhere once it started to close up. He gingerly moved his hand a little from her throat and a large clot come with his fingers. He carefully ran his finger along her neck as he searched for the wound Creed's claws had inflicted, but found nothing.

The gash up her side was healing slowly, so he directed Hank's attention to it to look for some foreign object that may have held up her progress as he restrained her hands. Henry pulled out a piece of the robot that had broken off between her ribs and a long strip of material that had been embedded itself when the simulation slashed her. When he saw the color beginning to return to her, Logan glared up at the booth, cold anger on his face.

"What the flamin' hell was that, Summers? Why did you have it on my sim? You tryin ta kill her?" he barked at the X-Men's fearless leader.

"I don't know what happened – I just ... tried to load a forest," Scott said, typing madly trying to figure out how it had gone so terribly wrong. It gave Logan no relief to see Scott so flustered, and so clearly taken back. But Jubilee was the one that figured it out.

"It was your code, Wolvie," Jubilee said into the mic as she leaned past Scott, her eyes glued on her distressed mentor.

"What are you talkin' about?" he snarled up to the little Asian girl.

"Your code – when you punched it into the panel it overrode what Scott had up here, he just didn't see it because he was watching her go all feral on you," she explained.

Logan seemed to weigh out her explanation. He sat back on his heels and watched her stitch herself up as Hank cleaned up the blood on her face.

Scott switched off the microphone. "Well, we don't need to continue any evaluation. She didn't take him down. She killed him," he said to Jean and Jubilee. "Logan hasn't taken it that far even."

Jean studied his pale face. "True, but Logan and Creed are somewhat matched. She's probably what? 110? 115 tops? She's tiny compared to him," Jean reasoned as they watched Logan pick up her limp body.

Jubilee left the control room to follow Logan as he carried K to the elevator. He looked at her as she stood next to them, eyeing the blood as it dripped off of K's borrowed uniform. "You may not want to ride with us, Jubes. Don't know what's going to happen when she wakes up. Don't want you in the cross hairs," he told her, reasonably.

"I'll just stand behind you," she replied as she stepped in with them, unable to keep from stealing a peek at the little woman he was holding. When he stepped out of the elevator, and started towards the stairs Jubilee trotted after, two steps behind him up the stairs, and to Logan's shock, she rushed ahead and opened the door to his room for him. He nodded in thanks as he passed her then took K straight to the bathroom, and started to strip the uniform off of her as he got the water running.

Jubilee stayed back a bit, not wanting to be too close if she panicked.

Logan got her boots off and had her arm half pulled out of the uniform when she woke up with a start. He threw his hands out and got some space as she looked around for a minute to gain her bearings. She stared at him before she relaxed and pulled her arm from the sleeve slowly herself.

"You alright now?" he asked.

She nodded her head and rubbed her neck where she'd been slashed. "I don't like Scott's idea of an evaluation. You could have  _said_ we'll find the biggest asshole you can think of and throw him at you," K grumbled, wobbling as she got to her feet.

He let the shock of her statement wash over him before he gave her a sad sort of smile. "That wasn't out of your head," Logan told her. "That sim was for me."

She froze and stared at him for a solid minute. "You mean, Jean didn't just pull him from my head?" Confusion was plain on her face.

He was a little reluctant to answer, concerned as to where the conversation was bound to go. "No. He's a chronic pain in my ass," Logan admitted as she seemed to lose some of her color.

"Please tell me that son of a motherless whore isn't a regular problem around here," she said with a pleading tone, and her color washing out a bit more.

"I wish I could," he replied as he watched her look for something to grab onto for balance. "Come on, hop in the shower, clean up a bit and then you can tell me about it." He guided her into his shower and she simply nodded and started to wash up. Logan left her to it and went back to talk to Jubilee to give K a bit of privacy.

"Jubes - "he started to say before she cut across him.

"She knows him," she said with a wide-eyed dazed expression that Logan had no idea what to do with. "She knows him,  _hates_ him, and can kick his ass." She looked up at Logan smiling. "I think I like her."

His shoulders slumped and he couldn't help but allow the amused chuckle to escape him. "Give us a little time and we'll go grab a bite somewhere," he promised.

"Can I stay, please, I want to hear what she has to say about him," Jubes asked, sitting up straighter with her hands clasped under her chin with her best puppy dog eyes.

Logan weighed it out, and glanced toward his bathroom door, ultimately deciding to leave that decision to the woman washing her own blood off in his shower.


	8. Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K explains some of her badassery; Agreements are made & Charles and Jean get permission to dig.

 

* * *

 _Damn that's a lot of blood going down the drain,_  K thought to herself as she leaned against the wall of the shower. For a moment, she wondered if it would ever stop.

Wrapped in a towel she finally emerged from the bathroom and was greeted by both Logan and his little friend, Jubilee. She glanced between the two of them and let out a breath. Still wet, she chose not to sit on the bed or cross the hallway for fresh clothes. Her whole body was buzzing as it worked overtime to restore the blood she'd lost. Besides, the two of them looked like they wanted their answers immediately and Logan simply hadn't bothered to go bring her something to wear of her own. So instead, she opted for the only open seat, next to Jubilee. The girl hadn't really appeared to care for her much and she'd made a point to glare at K every time she'd laid eyes on her.

However, for the time being, Jubilee simply watched her wide eyed as K made her decision on where to sit while she made sure that K saw there was room to share the love seat with her.

 _Well, what the hell. Why not,_ K thought before she made a beeline for the girl and very ungracefully plopped herself down next to her.

"Hey," K whispered out as she sat down and leaned her head back, turning her head toward the girl as she tried to stretch a little in an attempt to just rest when Jubilee broke the silence.

"Will you tell me about him?" Jubilee asked "I mean. Sabretooth."

K lifted her head as she looked at the girl next to her and nodded. "What do you want to know?" K asked quietly, her tone conversational.

"Well, for starters what's your beef with him?" Jubilee asked. "And where did you learn to utterly wipe the floor with him?"

K narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath before she let it out slowly, clearly trying to decide the best way to describe it. "Well," she started "You know he's a psychopath that likes to rape, mutilate, torture and murder women – not necessarily in that order." She tipped her head toward the floor and recrossed her legs, frowning at her own commentary.

"Did he … hurt you?" Jubilee asked timidly. She didn't want to ask outright if Sabretooth had forced himself on her, though she  _really_ wanted to know.

"Oh, sure," K replied with a wave. "Many times in many ways. Broken more bones than I can count. Bruises, cuts, all kinds of things. Usually I was restrained in one way or another." Her gaze was firmly on the carpet and not toward any of the people sharing the room with her.

"They let him torture you?" Logan asked, not entirely surprised that Weapon X still employed the bastard after all these years, but still angry that he was indeed doing this kind of thing for fun.

K looked up at him before carefully choosing her words. She didn't want to imply more than what had happened. "Everyone has their  _talents_ , don't they? He's exceptionally good at torture and mind games. And who else would do such a thorough job of it for them?" she asked earnestly.

Although it irritated him, she had a damn good point. "What did he do?" he asked seriously, anxiety written clearly on his face.

She smiled sadly, as she shifted, suddenly uncomfortable under his stare. "Not ... as much as he wanted to. He made all kinds of promises that I know he means to at least try to make good on one day," K said slowly. She sighed heavily before she continued. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure  _why_ he hasn't done it already."

Jubilee turned in her seat, watching K stare off, not really seeing anything. Without thinking about it, Jubilee leaned over suddenly and wrapped her up in a hug. "We won't let that loser touch you again. Don't worry."

K was shocked for a moment, and awkwardly wrapped her arm around the girl while she looked up at Logan who was nearly as surprised as K was at Jubilee's sudden affection. "I'm not that concerned. He doesn't exactly hate me, he just … he wants me to  _let_  him have his fun, and honestly, that just doesn't sound like a great Friday night to me. You guys know how to deal with him though, right? I mean ... there is a way, isn't there?" K asked as she looked up at Logan.

Jubilee stiffened and pulled back from her hug, her eyes on the floor for a moment before she stole a glance at a deflated looking Wolverine.

"Yeah, we know how to handle him," Logan replied with a resigned tone as he looked at the calendar. "He's bound to show up sooner rather than later."

K wrinkled her brow as she followed his gaze. "What, you got a standing appointment?" K joked with a little laugh as she looked at him in disbelief.

"Something like that. Does he ever talk about other people he wants to kill?" Logan asked.

"Kind of assumed he wanted to kill damn near everyone. But no. No names. He was a real mess last time I saw him. He wore himself out when he beat the hell out of me for something someone else did to him," K replied in a conversational tone as Logan watched her though his expression quickly became concerned.

"What do you mean? He takes it out on you if he finds you?" he asked, leaning back as she nodded. "What did he do? Did he gut ya that last time? Maybe break an arm before takin' yer throat out?" Logan asked.

K got a chill and looked at him with an unreadable expression, though finally, she nodded silently. Words could not find their way out of her mouth.

Logan sighed, and leaned forward, before he rested his hand on her knee. "I'm real sorry, sweetheart," he said, breaking it to her as gently as he was able while her heart fell. "Me and that sonofabitch go back a long way. That's what I did to him last time we tangled. I'm the one he lovingly calls the Runt."

Her face went pale as comprehension hit her fully. "Oh come on. No. No, no, no," She said, staring at him wide eyed as she began to shake her head. " _Please_  tell me you're joking." The crushed look on her face had him reeling as he just shook his head no and she covered her face with both hands. "I  _know_ what he did to the women in your past. He told me about it in detail.  _He showed me_. The first time he saw my claws …" her voice choked up and she couldn't talk anymore. He crossed the little gap between the chair and the love seat before he started to pull her toward him. She struggled to push him away at first ... her muscles tensed as her mind ran through some of Creed's fractured promises of torture and pain should he find a link between herself and the man she'd been in bed with since her arrival at Xavier's.

But Logan was set on getting her to see reason, and ignoring her silent protests, he pulled her to him as she tried to get her head on straight. When she registered what he was trying to do, she automatically tried to push away from him, a touch of panic rising in her voice as the promises of pain echoed in her mind. "He said he had plans for me if he ever found out that I knew you," she said quietly. "I can't stay here. I have to  _go_. I have to go  _right now_. I'm sorry."

Logan scrunched his brows together, clearly upset with the motivation behind her desire to leave. "I don't want to think about what he'll do if he finds out what we've done together," K continued. Logan's heart sunk but he wasn't going to give up. Not for Creed. He kissed her head and just held her tighter.

She struggled for a moment then quickly gave up the fight to leave entirely when she got a strong whiff of his scent ... warm and rich at the crook of his neck. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to melt into him. "I  _just_ started to like it here," she murmured into his shoulder. "I don't I've got you out of my system yet. I don't want to leave, but ..."

"So don't," he said quietly. She looked up at him and let out a laugh. There was no way it could be that easy.

"I ...don't think it's that simple, handsome," she said. "That simulation was based on how he goes after  _you,_ I'm guessing? He's  _never_ attacked me like that. It's always an ambush if I'm not restrained. It's always sneaky. He just doesn't give me a chance to face him evenly, and once he gets a hold of me?  _I don't have a chance_. He's just so goddamned  _big_."

Logan smiled at her and nodded. She looked back in question, sure he'd lost it. "You know what that means, right?" he queried with mischief in his eyes. "He knows if it was a fair fight, you'd  _win_ , and he doesn't want to take the chance that a pretty little thing like you would take him down."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "How flattering, and how entirely  _full of shit_ ," she said finally as he gave her a crooked smile and nodded.

"Like I said, I've known him for damn near as long as I can remember. He never gives a fair fight if he knows it's a fight he can't win," Logan told her as he leaned in for a kiss. Just before his lips touched hers Jubilee cleared her throat.

"Hate to interrupt – but not really. Minor in the room and all ... but, why don't you have the Prof or Jean or someone scan your noggin and program in the 'tooth's actions against you into the 'puter. Might be able to find a way to fight him," Jubilee pointed out with her arms folded over her slight chest.

Logan's head popped up as he thought it over. He readjusted himself to study K and ignoring Jubilee's distress, he leaned in to steal that kiss from K.

Jubilee sighed as Logan broke the kiss and leaned into K. "She's got a point," he whispered."I can help you find a way to fight him,  _and_ I'll stay close. If he sees us together, he'll be so pissed off at me, you won't even ping on his radar."

"You don't know that," K replied as she took a hold of his shirt in one hand, assessing him and the way he was readjusting his hands across the fluffy towel that covered just enough to not be obscene.

He tipped her chin up so she'd look him squarely in the eyes before he nodded slowly. "Believe me. Creed never misses an opportunity to get my blood on his claws," Logan told her quietly.

"I've never hidden behind anyone before. It's not right. Not my thing," K insisted.

He shook his head with his mouth tightened. "Not askin' ya to hide. You've just never had someone to help you. So let me  _help_ ," Logan said earnestly. "I'm gonna end up fightin' him anyhow and kickin' his ass is kind of my favorite hobby."

She thought about it a moment or two before agreeing. The thought of being free from Victor Creed hunting her down to torture, beat, and threaten was very tempting. Her heart raced as soon as she'd made her decision.

"Charles. Let's ask Charles," K said as Logan finally released his grip, allowing her to break away to get dressed.

He nodded then smiled at Jubilee. "Good thinkin' kid. I guess spendin' some time with Scooter isn't the worst thing you've been doing lately," Logan said with a laugh as he gave Jubilee a one armed squeeze.

* * *

As soon as K was decent, the two ferals went to talk to Charles, who was in the middle of having tea with Jean. The two of them laughing easily together, though their laughter dropped off and Charles' expression went somber when Logan led K into the room.

"You've recovered from your poorly executed evaluation this morning.  _Remarkable_. I think you may heal faster than Logan," Charles observed with a teasing smile aimed Logan's way as K took a seat near Jean.

"I'm really am sorry that it went so badly this morning," Jean said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Scott won't ask you to go back in anytime soon. He feels  _terrible_."

"That's great, Jeannie. But that's not why we're here," Logan cut in. "Turns out Creed has it out for her. We need one or both of ya to help program something more targeted for her."

"Why? You said it yourself, the simulation is as close to Sabretooth that you can get," Jean argued, her brow wrinkled as she took her seat next to Charles again.

"Yeah, it is – when he goes after me. Apparently he treats her different. We need it adjusted for his approach to her," Logan explained quickly.

Charles watched K her thoughtfully. "Can you show me what he's done?"Charles asked her gently. "I'm well aware of the kind of monster Victor Creed is, but if we're to make a new program, I need to better understand how he could have an entirely different approach to one person. It's simply not like him to keep one style of attack for a single opponent. He's just not that specialized."

K nodded, as she glanced at the others in the room. It did seem unlikely. Creed certainly seemed the 'find what works and beat it to death' type.

"You know that's not entirely true, Charles," Jean said, shaking her head. "He's actually gotten much more nasty than the program does when it's just Logan." She could see how badly Logan was upset by the revelations he'd discovered already and she wasn't about to minimize that.

Charles nodded and turned his attention back to the little brunette across from him, simply waiting for her word. K's gaze rose to meet his for a moment. "You have my full permission to see anything and everything," K said with a shaky breath before she turned toward the redhead. "You too, Jean. I think I can trust you."

Jean smiled kindly, nodding her head, but Charles noticed K's hands shaking. He knew she couldn't be lying, but still he felt an apprehension on what it was that he might see. The tortures that Creed had inflicted on Logan were absolutely horrible. But with a woman ... the implications of something more psychologically damaging was not only clear, but very likely given Victor's record.

"Please, take my hand," Charles said, offering her his outstretched palm. "Logan, stay close. She may want you when we've finished."

Nervously, K tried to relax as Jean followed his lead.

"I want in. You can do that. You've done it before. Show me," Logan said looking grim.

 _I can do that,_ Jean projected to K, waiting for her permission.  _It might help him train you, and it will definitely help him build up some well earned anger for Creed._

K took a deep breath as she looked between Logan and the two telepaths and nodded her consent as she steeled herself. She wasn't totally comfortable with one person poking around in her head, let alone three, but it would be worlds easier to just show them than to try to explain it all away.

Jean reached over and squeezed K's hand, a small smile on her face. "It'll be alright. I promise. You're in good hands. That's what we're here for," Jean said quietly with a friendly expression.

K wondered briefly if the woman was a bit of an empath before she decided to try and take control of this dog and pony show. It was her head ... her show, after all. "Alright. Let's get this over with. Just ... don't be surprised at what you find, and don't stop until you've seen it all. I don't want to have to do this twice," K warned.

Jean and Charles looked at each other grimly before Jean nodded.

"Just relax and clear your mind, K. We will do our best, but if I think it's too much for you, we will stop," Charles warned. "I simply won't take the chance at damaging your mind. Now, please, think of the first time you encountered Sabretooth."

With a little nod, K closed her eyes and did her best to relax as Charles had requested.

A few minutes later, she found herself in a large flower filled field with Jean, Logan and Charles, the three of them all stood next to her. She looked around and Jean nodded to her, telling her to lead them to wherever it was that they needed to go.

K let out a breath and started to walk while the two telepaths tried to figure out exactly where they were. Logan simply followed, his eyes locked on the tiny woman leading the charge.

As they made their way to the little building near the edge of a forest, they were all met with a slight sinking feeling. Just the sight of the dark, grungy looking bar brought back a solid memory of fear for her.

K was dressed in low cut jeans and a tank top that didn't quite cover her belly button. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and she was the lone barkeep in the place. Nothing special, just pouring drinks for the regulars, trying to keep it calm and friendly when a massive blonde man walked in and sauntered up to the bar. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail and on sight, the three X-Men recognized him immediately as Creed.

"What'll it be?" she had asked him with a professional smile.

He eyed her up and down with a leer "When you get off work, girlie?" He asked with an ill fitting grin.

Jean couldn't help but let out a scoff of pure disgust, her arms crossed as she watched the scene unfold.

But the bartender version of K gave him a no nonsense smirk as she took a step forward and set the rag in her hand down on the bar. "Sorry, mister, I'm  _not_ on the menu. Can I get you something to  _drink_ instead? Seeing as this is a bar and all," K told him. Her tone was professional, without the tiniest bit of honey.

He tutted and leaned towards her across the bar, though she held her ground. "Just bring me somethin' cold and American, sweetheart – and keep 'em comin," he growled out with a wink. "Make sure I'm not thirsty and I'll leave a helluva tip."

She nodded and turned to pull a frozen mug from the freezer behind the bar and poured him up something on tap. She set it down in front of him before she asked if he wanted to start a tab. He nodded, still leering at her as she started up a new sheet for him. She made it down the bar to take care of a regular when she saw the blonde had already drained his mug. Before he could raise his hand, she snatched up the mug and refilled it. He watched her closely as she set it back down in front of him.

"Let me know if you need anything else," K told him in that same business like tone.

"Will do," he rumbled as she turned and headed back down the bar. He kept up a quick pace for nearly an hour before she finally asked if he was alright. Without a pause, he tapped his mug.

"I'm fine, just keep up, girly," He growled out.

Doubtful, she continued to pour him beer as the regulars disappeared one by one. After the last one left, he snatched her hand as she made to take his glass. She froze and looked up at him as he got to his feet. He had a smirk on his face that was stretching into a lewd smile. She pulled on her hand a little and his grip increased. When she stopped pulling, he slid his hand up to her arm and slowly tightened his grip until the bones in her arm snapped.

She cried out in pain, then reached up with the clear intention to pry his fingers off before he positively crushed her arm. When her free hand touched his he grabbed that wrist and pulled her over the bar.

"Looks like you're free to go now, pretty girl," Creed growled, as he pulled her with him toward the door and her feet tried desperately to keep her upright. He released the broken arm and she clutched it to her chest. She tried to get away from him until he wheeled around and viciously backhanded her for struggling against his grip. When he released her, she hit the ground and clutched her broken arm to her chest. As she rolled onto her back, she pulled hard on her wrist to reset the bones, gritting her teeth as she did so. He stopped in his tracks to watch her struggle as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"What did ya do that for, girl? You ain't gonna live long enough for it to heal," he rumbled as he lit a cigarette and loomed over her and she tried to skitter away from him backwards. He looked her over with a critical eye then froze, his mouth open as he watched the dark purple bruises on her arm disappear. Slowly his eyes slid up to meet hers and he tossed the cigarette.

A huge grin that didn't match his eyes lit up his face.

Her eyes widened, knowing she was in trouble and she scrambled faster to get away from him but he grabbed her leg and pulled her closer. Without a stitch of warning, he threw his weight on her thigh, snapping her femur.

She screamed out in agony right next to his ear as she tried to push him away, the world swirling around her as he pulled her leg, resetting that bone too. He shred her jeans from her leg as he waited to see the bruising and scratches disappear on her leg as well. When the dark purple-black marks began to fade, he started to chuckle. He pulled his arm back, but before he could strike her again, she punched him in the throat, collapsing his windpipe. He fell nearly on top of her, grasping at her as she tried to avoid him.

She wriggled her leg out from under him as he gasped. The bruising around his throat was vanishing fast. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized how this guy drank as much as he did and was still upright.

She freed herself from him and made it out the door before he got his feet under him fully, running for all she was worth.

But he was on her trail in a heartbeat. She ran into the nearby forest, her legs pumping as hard and fast as she could make them move.

Panic struck her when she wasn't fifty yards into the woods as she heard him burst through the underbrush, roaring on her tail. She turned tail and took off again. In a matter of moments, he was closing the distance. She could hear him breathing practically in her ear.

He made a swipe at her, and ripped out a chunk of her hair and scalp, though he stumbled as he did so. She used it as a chance to really pour on more speed. She was getting ready to make a leap for the river when her foot caught on a tree root, and she fell face first into the dirt. He was on her before she could take a breath.

He roughly yanked her hands over her head and flipped her over to face him. He straddled her, perched on her stomach as he looked her over.

"You gonna play nice with me now?" he laughed as he used one claw to draw a line from the curve of her jaw down to just over her heart. She squirmed under him and with a snarl, she mustered all she had and spit in his face as he started to push her shirt up. He growled and released her hands long enough to punch her, smashing her nose and cheekbones.

"Well then, frail, I have just the place for you," he laughed, before he tossed her over his shoulder. "And you can bet you'll be wishin' you'd taken me up on my offer by the time they get started on you."

* * *

The walk back toward the bar felt like it took forever as she dangled nearly lifelessly from his shoulder. With every step he took, she was losing consciousness. She banged her head when he tossed her in the back of his hummer. Before she could get too comfortable, he crawled in over her, pressing her into the back seat under his substantial frame.

She couldn't remember feeling so small or helpless. Her head was swimming as he reached into the cargo area. He dug around before finally, he grabbed her hands and cuffed her. Her face was nearly healed and she started to sit up when Creed locked eyes with her and told her to stay down, but this time he accentuated his order with a crushing punch to the throat.

He'd hit her with force enough that it actually fractured her neck. She couldn't move and was gasping helplessly, choking on her own blood before Creed realized what the problem was. He pushed her off the seats, face down on the floorboards of the back seat and told her not to bleed on the leather before he slammed the door shut.

She stayed face down where he'd dropped her even after she'd healed, terrified at what he was going to do. She tried to make a plan but long before she could find a brilliant solution it was over. After several turns and many miles, the hummer stopped. She heard his door open and slam, then the door near her feet open. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her out in one smooth, strong movement. She turned to run for it when she saw the dozen or so soldiers with rifles pointed at her. Creed chuckled, and grabbed her by the hair before he pulled her with him.

"Got one for Department K," he said to the sentry at the entrance to what looked like a concrete bunker. The sentry nervously made a quick call and the doors opened within a few seconds. Creed pulled her along the hallways – all of them looking sterile and dead. He shoved her into an elevator and stepped in behind her where he punched a button before wrapping his hand around her throat.

He curled his arm, which pulled her to him tightly so he could murmur quietly in her ear.

"On the off chance you don't make my bank account substantially heavier ... you an' me are gonna have some  _real_ fun." The threat sent a shiver down her spine as he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her scent with a low growl. She knew she was dead one way or another.

When the door opened, he dragged her with his nails puncturing her skin as K ran on her tiptoes just to keep up with his long strides. When he led her to a steel door with a high tech access he paused before he slammed her down onto the ground and put a foot in the center of her chest. He scanned his palm and retina before the door opened to a vast laboratory, all brushed steel and white ceramic. A bald man with a hook for a hand in a lab coat turned to look at him and smiled in spite of himself when he saw the bloodied little brunette.

"What have you brought me today, Creed?" he asked as he openly eyed her up and down.

"She's a fast healer. Thought you might find a use for her," Creed replied as if this was the most casual normal talk anyone could have. "Course, if you don't, that's fine too. I'll keep her."

K's eyes widened and her heart ticked up at the casual bartering going on.

"Perhaps. Would you mind giving me a demonstration of her abilities before you make use of her talents?" The man asked, smiling wickedly.

"It would be my pleasure, Professor," Creed grinned maliciously as two more men in lab coats came and collected her from him. They stripped her down to her bare necessities, ignoring her protests, then hosed her off to remove the dried blood that had accumulated on her body from the beating Creed had already given her.

"We need a clean slate so we know what we have on our hands," The bald man explained to Creed when he'd started to growl. "You don't usually bring them in quite so ... rough."

Creed just grunted something out about how she'd been unreasonable.

But as soon as she was washed up, soaking wet and freezing, Creed was given free rein to hurt her. He repeated the beating he gave her at the bar, expanding on it where he felt it needed expanding – or where he knew she'd scream better for him.

K fought back when she could, and landed some hits that were fairly impressive for a handcuffed, half naked girl. It continued until Creed started to get carried away. His claws sank deeply into her throat as he sneered down at her wide eyes.

" _Stop_. That's enough. You've done well, Creed. You found her and brought her in like you said you would," the man said, watching as even now the punctures in her heavily bleeding throat closed up. "Name your price." Creed smiled.

"Three times what the last one was, and I want to help with the testing on her, professor. I think I have some skills you could take advantage of here," he said, smiling while the professor reached down to turn her face his way, watching her healing quickly. She was shaking in his grip. The professor's eyes narrowed, thinking it over.

"Done," he replied moments later. "We start tomorrow. Be ready at 9." He turned his attention solely towards the bloodied and shivering brunette. "Guards, put back her in cell 78."

Two guards came forward, one held her hands while the other removed the cuffs. They led her to the cell and shoved her in roughly before slamming the door shut behind her.


	9. Memories Revisited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search into K's memories continues while Jean and Charles try to get all the dirt they can use to make up a new training sim. 
> 
> Jubilee takes a shining to the newest feral.

 

* * *

Surrounded in blackness and cold, the little brunette woke up. She couldn't tell if it was night or day or how long she'd been in the concrete cell.

Bright light filled the room, and she covered her eyes with her hands, wincing in pain. Before she could gain her senses, hands were on her, holding her arms tightly to her torso as the men tried to drag her from the meager cell.

She struggled hard, fending them off somehow until one of them brought down his rifle butt on the back of her head, knocking her into blackness.

When she regained consciousness, she was strapped to a cold stainless steel table, unable to do more than wiggle. What she presumed were doctors were all around, covered head to toe in white, masks and goggles over their faces. One of them alerted the others to her awakening then crudely put a piece of duct tape over her mouth just before they simply began cutting into her, two or three at a time. She screamed until she passed out, only to awaken mid-procedure. The pain was so white hot, she couldn't focus on anything else, and as soon as one exploration was over and she had healed a little, they'd start another.

They gave her no recovery time other than what it took for her skin to seal itself. She was shaking uncontrollably by the time they'd decided it was time to stop. The same guards dragged her bloodied body back to her cell, before they unceremoniously dropped her in the center of the room and slammed the door shut behind them. She didn't move until the door opened again.

The time between memories was foggy – almost as if a haze had slipped into time.

The next time she  _remembered_  them coming for her, she tried to keep them from grabbing her. She fought furiously until one raised his rifle and shot her in the heart twice. She fell to the ground, horrified and gasping, one hand over her wounds as they rushed in and dragged her out again.

That time, she was fully conscious as they took her to the lab. She felt sick when the bullets pushed themselves out of her body and hit the concrete with a clunk. They strapped her onto the same table as before, and she began shaking, her body automatically responding to the anticipated mutilation that was bound to follow.

Instead of surgical explorations though, two lone white clad figures approached her and injected her with some odd looking liquid, then simply stepped back and watched her. She looked at them nervously when suddenly, the liquid began to burn like fire in her veins. Her head swam, her eyes unfocused and her heart began to race. Her throat swelled nearly shut and she began panting. She was convinced she was going to die when it simply began to ebb.

When the color at the injection site and her vitals returned to normal, they repeated the process with a different injection. She went through all forms of near deaths, and many that just made her ill for a while until they decided that they'd gone through all the injections they'd wanted to do, ending with testing how much of one particular drug they needed to give her to render her unconscious for a time.

Once that was determined, notes were taken, blood was drawn and she was returned to her cell, where she found a meager meal waiting for her.

After the day of being poisoned, she was understandably reluctant to touch it. She carefully sniffed at it, and decided that at least some of it was marginally safe, though if it was from good judgement or starvation, it would be hard to say. She wolfed down what she could and not long afterward, she simply began to drift off to sleep. It was hard on her body, all the healing with no rest. To add to the concerns, the longer she went without sleep, the harder it was to heal properly.

They repeated the process many times, never giving her a chance to become totally whole until they tossed her into a cell. Before long, she quickly realized that the cell at least, was a relatively safe spot.

Of all the twisted memories of tortures and experiments ... the day that haunted her the most was one where the memory was almost tinted with a wariness on everyone's faces that was conducting the experiment.

In that particular memory, they took her into a room with an  _incredibly_ heavy door. The guards were dressed in some very strange looking hazmat suits that drew her attention simply because they were so far from the norm.

They threw her in the plain looking room and rushed to close the two foot thick door as they left her with a small metallic looking object on a tiny platform in the center of it. She had no idea what it was, but she knew it couldn't be good.

Soon after she'd been left alone, she felt odd as she stood there. The longer she stayed there, the sicker she got. She'd  _never_ felt like that before. Even before she'd gotten her healing - this was a sickness that was simply horrific. Her stomach twisted on her and she was dizzy to the point of being unable to stand within minutes.

She began to vomit not twenty minutes after entering the room and became hopelessly ill after being in the room for less than an hour. When she was flat on the floor, sick, twitching, and barely breathing, the signal was finally given to pull her out. The heavy door opened and a massive man that could only be Creed, covered in a lead suit walked in quickly, grabbed her by the foot to drag her out, unwilling himself to go further in than what was necessary. He picked her up like a rag doll as soon as she was out of the room and carried her like a baby.

"Glad you weren't stupid enough to get too close to that damn thing, frail. Even  _we_ have to have a limit," he said to her quietly as he carried her down the corridor. For once, he gently set her down in a shower, where she was scrubbed down by several men wearing decontamination suits.

Her skin began to peel off as they scrubbed her. Her hair fell out and the vomiting continued, though by that time, she was vomiting black, tarry looking blood. She was losing blood from everywhere as her illness showed its full force. One of the techs noted out loud that her bloody nose now had a bit of grey matter slipping out with the blood. She couldn't remember why, but she knew that had to be bad. She couldn't think and all over her skin were purplish looking burns where it wasn't bright red. She was seizing every few minutes.

In short she was dying. No one, not even Creed, came too close to her. And then slowly, she wasn't.

Weakly she lifted her head and watched the skin that had fallen from her legs begin to reappear. Everything  _hurt_  and she still couldn't think. Some time later, the men who had scrubbed her returned, repeating the job, she couldn't do anything to help them as they tried to decontaminate her, but at least this time, they moved her with their hands ... not the long poles they'd used before.

Her body felt as though it was made of lead, and everything ached sorely. She had no strength. She turned her head toward the nearest one, looking at him for a moment - too tired to even turn her head back. His eyes were wide as he stared back at her, still scrubbing her down. The look on his face was enough to make her just want to give up, so with a heavy sigh, she simply closed her eyes and hoped for death.

After more time passed, she felt strong arms lifting her, but she remained totally limp. Her head lolled as she was carried away from the sounds of the decontamination room. His low rumble as he spoke quietly clued her in that it was Creed that was holding her so gently again.

This time, he stayed with her when the he finally put her back into her cell. His actions were almost tender as he brushed her new hair out of her face and watched her nearly sleep.

"Would have been easier on ya if ya just died, girl," he said somberly, "They're  _happy_ with you, so it's not going to get any better now. Bet ya wished you'd just played nice with me, don'tcha?" She heard his laughter as his footsteps retreated down the hall and she lay still on the floor. But in her mind -  _no_. She would still have preferred this to whatever bedroom games Creed had in mind for her.

The next time they came around, they began by throwing her into a large metal room with an observation room attached above. As she turned around she spotted Creed, who lunged for her, and began beating her with no warning.

He retreated when told, and attacked with absolute pleasure when allowed, brutally tearing into her. It wasn't long though before she began to fight back. When she did, she was darted then and woke up tied to another metal table, a device attached to her head that covered her eyes and ears. Something in the device drilled itself into her skull and began flashing images before her eyes.

When they threw her back at Creed, she knew a little more how to fight, and kept pace better, but still ended up bleeding and broken after every session.

It was here that her memory went very fuzzy. Almost as if she was walking through a thick fog that Charles immediately recognized as memories that had been tampered with - erased or locked up, yet somehow she was trying to see them.

Her next clear memory was one of rage. She was barely clothed, covered in blood and savagely tearing into Creed. He'd already been knocked out and she was straddling his chest, pounding into his face with a rock with every ounce of strength she possessed. Breathless, she stood up and staggered backwards as a dart hit her in the back. She spun, as she looked for her attacker and lost her footing. She fell on her backside and slipped to the ground as the drugs kicked in.

She woke from that one with Creed on top of her, making fuzzy sounding promises as he pressed her down. She began to scream in rage and fear snarling and trying to get a hold of him when he was hit with half a dozen darts. He snapped at her, missing her face by millimeters with those terrifying incisors before he collapsed on top of her, growling. She tried to push him off of her, but was completely unable to budge his massive girth. The guards finally did it for her, rifles aimed at her the whole time. And although she was completely compliant, as they dragged him away from her, she too was hit with a dart.

This time when she woke up she found herself better clothed. They'd deemed him too tempted into other things when he fought with her and sought to fix the problem by covering her up. Only, it didn't do a thing to fix it. It just gave him something to enjoy as he shredded her black bodysuit.

Over the course of who knows how long, they tapped into her brain, reprogramming it with fighting styles they'd recovered from previous victims to their experimentations. When they were done, they thought they had a real promising specimen.

Until of course, they got a little too greedy and added in one final fighting style that proved to be a perfect storm. The last time that they put her in with Creed, wanting them to fight, it all went terribly wrong.

Creed lunged at her, and she stood her ground until the last moment, when suddenly, unexpectedly, she somehow sliced him from neck to navel, gutting him and leaving him bleeding in a pile with a snarl. They went in to subdue her and were shocked to find that when they got too close, this tiny woman had three claws sprouting from the backs of her hands, ready to slash them.

"Get her down!  _Now_!" the professor shouted excitedly from the control booth as she went to slashing and gutting half of the guards in front of her, not stopping until she had two darts in her neck.

As she was fading out, his voice echoed the room. "Finally, we have a second chance, gentlemen. Begin preparations for a bonding. You have forty-eight hours."

* * *

When she woke up in her cell again, Creed was in it with her, glaring at her. He was on her in a moment as soon as he saw she was awake.

"You rotten little whore – what is he to you?" he shouted, holding her by the throat. She tried to shake her head, confused as he grabbed her hands and held them behind her back, pressing her against the wall.

"That little runt," he mumbled to himself, "wait til he sees what I do to you," he snarled at her. "Don't matter what you are to him, does it?"

And at that, she couldn't hold back anymore. "Who the hell are you talking about?" she shouted at him and he froze, eyeing her and growling with deep suspicion.

"Don't try to bullshit  _me_  girl. You tell me who he is to you or I'll let them do what they have planned."

"I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" she replied, terrified, but clearly not lying.

"You know, I have a thing about killing his women. It makes me happy." She was staring at him, wide eyed, completely clueless as to who the hell he was talking about. "It's fun."

"This," he said jamming his claws into her stomach then tearing out her throat. "Is how I killed his precious Fox after havin' a little fun with her." He stood over her watching as she blacked out bleeding on the floor only to wake up to him smiling at her. "But that won't work on you, will it?" he said.

He continued to 'show' her how so many women had died at his hand. He finally left, telling her if he found out she knew him, he would make her beg for him to kill her.

She was trembling on the cell floor, crying silently and trying to gather herself up - afraid to move or stay where she was. Until she realized that he'd left the door to her cell open as he went. She took advantage as soon as she was upright, carefully scenting her way out, avoiding soldiers as she went and sure that Creed was following her as she went.

She was well away from the complex when the alarm rose. She chose to run, not stopping until she was clothed and very far away as she cut off her hair and bleached it blonde in a house she'd broken into.

* * *

With that image, the mental bond between K, Logan, and the telepaths broke. The X-men before her looked shocked. Even Logan was taken back.

"He  _gave you to them_ ," Logan whispered, staring at her. "Knowing what they'd do, he gave you to them." Anger and disgust were easily apparent in his voice. She let out a breath and nodded her confirmation.

"I think we have enough to program a scenario. It's clear he likes to see you in pain, but that's not unusual for him. He's got to have a really dark fantasy in mind," Jean analyzed.

"Yeah, that doesn't make it sound any better. Kinda creeps me out more, actually," K replied.

Jean nodded her head grimly. "You're not alone if it makes you feel better."

"It does  _not_ ," K said crisply before she thanked them, though Charles hadn't said a word since the connection had broken. K and Logan left Charles' office in silence. Logan took her hand in his as they made to leave the office and he mulled it all over.

Her memory showed that it was touch and go ... some sections they were only able to see flashes of missions ... spy endeavors if his guess was right. But none of it made any sense. There was no cohesive line. He couldn't see anyone she'd worked with. No scents in her memory base to tip him off to who had done her wrong. Something else he was painfully familiar with.

When they started down the hall, she gave his hand a little squeeze. "Go, take Jubilee out. She needs some time with you and I know she's been waiting for you." And though she didn't say it, the truth was, after the day she had and the telepaths traipsing through her mind, she was ready to just sleep.

"You need to eat somethin', darlin'. Can't heal right without it." He replied, wrapping his arm around her as they walked.

She shook her head. "I can handle that on my own. She needs your time and I'm not going anywhere," she promised, kissing his cheek. They turned the corner into the kitchen to find Jubilee there with a large pizza in front of her.

"You guys took too long, so I ordered out. Want some?" Jubilee asked, holding out a slice to K.

"Thanks, but I'll pass," she replied, "I think ... I'll just head upstairs. You two need time and I've already gotten in the middle of it." She gave the little firecracker a worn smile and turned to go up to bed.

" _No_!" Jubilee shouted, startling the over tired feral woman. Jubilee quickly lowered her tone before she continued. "I want to spend time with you too. Chloe and Zoe said you were really nice."

"Ugh," K said, pulling a face "Those two are going to have such a bad impact on my reputation."

"I know how that goes, isn't that right, ya little pain?" Logan laughed, ruffling Jubilee's hair. Jubilee responded by batting at his hand and sticking her tongue out at him. "Besides," Logan continued. "You still need to eat something."

Slowly and tiredly, K pulled up a chair next to Jubilee, and just tried to zone out as Jubilee talked Logan's ear off. K nodded or shook her head as required when Jubilee would ask her a question, though it was clear she was done with talking for the day.

After she'd eaten a little bit, her eyes started to drift shut, though she did fight it. Logan watched her start to lose her battle and as her head slowly sunk to rest on her crossed arms on the table, he nudged Jubilee nodding his head to the woman falling asleep next to her.

"God help me for ever saying this out loud, but Wolvie, you have  _got_ to get that woman to bed," Jubilee said, shaking her head.

Logan winked at her as he made to stand up. "Took the words right outta my mouth, Jubes," he teased as he waggled his eyebrows and crossed behind Jubilee to gently pull K's chair out. Her eyes popped open for a moment but she simply cooperated as she focused on Logan's face momentarily. She leaned into him as he picked her up and wrapped her arms around his neck allowing him to carry her bridal style up the stairs and to his bed. He stripped off her shoes and jeans before he covered her up and leaned in to kiss her.

"You, my dear, are a God among men," she mumbled as his lips touched hers.

"Don't you forget it," he growled back. "Rest up, I'll be back in a few hours." She didn't argue with him as she snuggled in and passed out.


	10. History Comes Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's that time of year, kids.

 

* * *

Logan closed the door to his room quietly behind him and made a beeline for Charles' office. His silence earlier had left Logan uneasy after the exploration of K's old memories. Charles' voice beckoned him to enter as he reached the door. He was sitting behind his desk, his back to the approaching Wolverine as he looked out the window.

"What troubles you, Logan?" Charles asked as Logan walked up and leaned on the bookshelf near his desk.

"What do you think, Chuck? You didn't say a word after pokin' around in her head. What's your take?" Logan asked as he watched him closely. Charles let out a heavy sigh and turned to face his old friend.

"Everything they did to her was accelerated substantially from the pace they used with you, wasn't it?" he asked, his voice sounding tired.

Logan nodded. "Sure looked like it. From what I remember, they only did one or two tests at a time then threw me back in to heal. Took them months to do to me what it seems they did to her in what? A few weeks? Why'd they push her so hard?" Logan grumbled, anger coming off of him in waves. "And the radiation poisoning? That's new," he spat, disgusted.

"Yes, they were testing her for a purpose beyond simple weapon, I'm sure of it. But I don't understand the push. What had they planned for her?" Charles mused, fingers tented as he thought.

"We gotta shut 'em down, Charlie. I know you don't want to be a part of it, but it's just gonna be a matter of time before Creed shows up – lookin' for her or me, and when he does, he'll tip them off in a heartbeat," Logan said, his tone determined.

Charles nodded in agreement. "It's a risk, yes. But it's one I'm afraid I agree we may have to take. K will be their primary target, but I  _doubt_ that they would pass up the chance to retrieve you if the opportunity was ripe, not to mention the temptation of nearly every other resident here," Charles said, watching Logan's reaction.

"I'll talk to Cap. See if we can get them to get a little intel for us. May even want to lend a hand if he meets her," Logan said, pulling out a cell phone. Charles nodded, waiting to hear the verdict. When the call ended Logan's met Charles' gaze. He said it out loud, though Charles already knew the answer. "Cap'll be here in a couple days. He's starting the intel search. With luck, we may get the Avengers on our side here. That program was supposed to be shut down years ago," Logan said.

"You know it wasn't, Logan," Charles said gently. "You know my concerns there. Losing the investment they had in you set them back significantly, but you  _were_  a technical success to them. The failure was their inability to keep you under their thumb."

Logan shifted and nodded as he looked down at his hands. He knew Charles was right, even if he didn't want to think about it that way. As Logan turned to walk out, Charles called out to him again. "Be sure that you fill in Scott on everything, please. He'll want to come up with a plan with Captain America."

"Sure, Chuck. "First thing in the mornin'," Logan answered. There just wasn't anything else that could be said at that point. Not without more information.

Charles was of course, concerned for all of their safety, but he couldn't help but wonder about Creed. Something the others had glossed over was his gentle touch when she was severely injured. He pondered it for a long while once he was alone. Was it the manner of how she'd gotten so severely ill that had Creed so uncharacteristically careful with her, or was it something more? It was alarming how clearly the psychotic mutant had a soft spot for the little woman. He tried to mull over Creeds contradictions, but soon found himself having to abandon the possible meanings.

He was sure Logan either hadn't picked up on it, or was so outraged at how they'd treated her, he had canceled it out in his mind seeing how vicious he'd gotten when Creed had suspected a link to Logan. But Charles had to admit, whatever kindness she'd received before, it was going to be all bets off when Creed discovered her current relationship with Logan.

* * *

Logan slipped into his room quietly, not wanting to disturb the woman he'd been growing so fond of that was sleeping in his bed. He stripped down to his boxers and slid under the covers. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned toward him as his weight moved the mattress. She slid her hand across his stomach and pulled herself to him just to kiss him gently over his heart. He pulled her closer and began showering her with tiny kisses in return.

He had worked his way from her jawline to her ear, then down her neck, across her collarbone and was working his way back up again. She was entwining her fingers behind his neck when there was a knock at the door. Logan groaned softly in complaint and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

"This better be good," he said with a growl as he turned his head to nip at her neck, and was rewarded with a smile from her as he did so.

"Sorry, Logan but we have an issue with Jubilee. She's gone," Scott said, his voice echoing slightly in the hallway.

"Damnit," he hissed, looking up at K's face, finding concern there at the news of Jubilee's disappearance. "Jeannie have any luck on her?" he asked as he quickly disentangled himself from her and the blankets.

"Yeah, she's off the grounds, probably fifty miles to the south east of here," Scott replied through the door.

Logan was mumbling to himself as he got dressed. He swore when he looked to the calendar with a frown.

"What is the deal with that damn calendar?" K finally asked, propped up on her elbow when Logan checked it for the second time as he pulled his uniform on and zipped it up. She got up as he dressed and slipped a pair of sweats on to follow him.

"My damn birthday's next week," he grumbled as he pulled on his boots.

But that told her nothing and she was utterly confused at his answer. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?" she asked as she followed him out the door.

"Creed's a week early," Logan replied as he turned to her. "Stay here. He's usin' her as bait. I don't want you getting in the middle right now." He jogged down the hall with Scott as she stared at their retreating backs.

She only waited a half second before she took off behind them. "I'm coming with," K told them just before she broke off with Jean as they rushed to the underground levels.

Jean watched her, unsure. "Is that a good idea?" Jean asked before handing her a uniform.

But K nodded grimly. "Logan said Jubilee was bait. My question is if it's to bring Logan  _there_ , or to lure him away? Besides, I will die killing that sonofabitch if that's what it takes. If he's done anything to her …." K drifted off, her jaw set as her nostrils flared.

Jean understood K's fire, of course, and the two women grimly made their way to the blackbird where the rest of the team had already gathered. Logan stood at the door clearly only to block her entry.

"No. I don't want you anywhere near him, darlin'." Logan told her, blocking her bodily. "You're not cleared for missions with us yet anyhow." His tone was unyielding and final. He moved his arm and let Jean onto the jet before he stopped the little brunette again. K narrowed her eyes at him before she tried to push his arm out of her way, irritated to find she couldn't move him. He blocked the way further and shook his head as he dipped his head down to catch her gaze.

"Out of my way, Logan," K warned, her tone just as final as his.

He shook his head. "I'm tryin' to protect you," he said, a tiny bit of pleading in his voice.

"Well, I'm getting on this plane," she countered, the edge in her voice much clearer. "Don't make me hurt you."

He smirked at her threat. "You can't hurt me, darlin'," he said, not intending his tone to be so condescending as he reached up and slid his hand into her hair. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. "We'll be back before you know it."

She blushed deeply as her anger rose in her cheeks as her hands tightened into fists. She could feel her temper boiling over. "Last chance, lover," she half purred, half snarled at him as the engines fired up.

"I'm sorry, really I am," he said, in a genuine tone of regret as he made to take a step back.

"Let her on, Logan," Jean called out to him. "She can help."

Logan glanced over his shoulder a moment, then brushed Jean's logic off. When he turned back to K, her expression had changed from livid to very calm, apologetic even as she slid her hands onto his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, only to grip him tightly and knee him in the groin.

He doubled over, his chin on her shoulder before she pushed forward, knocking him onto his back then simply stepped over him and closed the door behind the both of them. Once the door was soundly shut and the engines began to fire up, she leaned over him to look him in the face, anger back on her features.

"I'm sorry, really I am.  _But I said I'm going,_ " she growled out to him. She paused and knelt down to kiss him quickly on the cheek before she hastily took a seat next to Jean, who was doing her level best to keep her smirk under control.

A few minutes later, Logan stiffly took the seat across the aisle from her, glowering at her until she finally turned to face him.

"You didn't have to do that," he growled out, truly irritated with her.

She reached over and rested her hand on his knee. "I really am sorry about that. But you wouldn't listen," she replied as she let out a big breath. "You said that Jubilee was bait. For what exactly? Is he luring you there to fight, or to get you away from the school?"

His anger melted away as he thought it over. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I don't think he really puts much thought into it."

She shrugged, her hands open. "That's why I'm coming. Sometimes he does. If he's scouted, he knows I'm here, and not to take away from your feud, but he broke his pattern, right? How often does that happen?" Her argument was reasonable.

He shook his head. "You're not ready to fight him," he said, though he looked a little concerned even as she smiled and stole a kiss.

"I'm not going to. I'm just going to be  _your_  bait," she said cheerfully with a smile.

Logan immediately started to protest, but Jean cut across him. "She has a point. I'll stay with her. Scan for him, and hit him with a psy-blast if he gets too close," Jean promised in an attempt to sound nonchalant as the three of them hashed out a plan.

"What about the rest of us?" Scott asked from the pilot's seat. "What do we do?" Logan looked shocked. Was he  _really_ handing over the reins to him on this one?

"Spread out in pairs. Keep your eyes open, and put him down if you get the chance," Logan directed. Scott nodded in agreement, only then throwing in his two cents.

"Storm, you're with Gambit," Scott said in a clear tone. "Rogue with Iceman, Colossus with Kitty, Beast you stick to the jet, and I'll go with Wolverine. You got a problem with that, Logan?" Scott rattled off. Logan looked at K a moment, weighing it out before he quickly grunted out his approval. He covered her hand with his, then drew her hand up to his mouth, to kiss her palm.

Jean nudged her in the side then gave her a look, encouraging her to cross the aisle and go to him with a little blush.

K looked her way, but when Jean raised an eyebrow, she did just that. As soon as she was close, Logan pulled her into his lap, and nuzzled into her neck. "Don't let him touch you," Logan said quietly.

She nodded her head. "Oh, don't worry about me. You getting nervous, big guy? Your heart's beating real fast," she said, looking him in the eye. She could smell the anxiety on him and she could tell it wasn't his normal pre-mission stance. He pulled her closer and rested his forehead on hers.

"Just be careful, woman. Don't go and die on me now," he said very quietly.

"Don't fall too fast," she replied just as quietly, giving him a serious look. She kissed him again, but didn't linger too long. "And on the off chance this all goes south, Happy Birthday."

He looked sick for a moment as he slid her off his lap into the seat next to him. "I'll expect a present from you in the mornin'" he said gruffly, the catch in his voice giving away his mounting tension. Their hands entwined until the plane landed a short time later.

The team fanned out in pairs, Logan and K going in opposite directions, both testing the wind, K hoping not to find him, Logan wanting desperately to be the one who did. It was Jean and K however, who found Jubilee.

She was tied up, hands over her head, dangling from a tree by her wrists. Her head hung over her chest limply, blood was all over her tattered clothing and bruises had bloomed across her delicate features. Jean let the others know silently that Jubilee had been found and where to find her but K was on edge as she scanned the clearing. She was frustrated that the wind had died down around them making sniffing Creed out impossible.

A few minutes later as Jean pulled Jubilee out of the tree to assess her injuries better, Storm and Gambit appeared. Gambit stood near K, scanning the area, looking out for any sign of the monster. Jean sent out a little mental query as she looked for anyone outside of the group. Suddenly her eyes popped open.

"He's here – and he's close," Jean said quietly, looking around as she waited for the chance to blast him. Gambit charged a handful of cards, ready to assault the entire forest if need be.

Storm made the winds rise up, looking to K and gently shifting them, trying to give her a chance to sniff him out. K nodded at her, then closed her eyes and stretched out to her full tiny height to inhale deeply.

 _Jean_  – she projected out,  _I think I found him. He's off to the west. I can smell Logan and Scott to the north-northwest, Logan is tracking. Where are Iceman and Rogue?_  Jean looked behind her before answering.

 _They're behind us, coming up from the south-east._  K nodded then pointed to the direction she knew Creed to be, cluing in the rest of the group. She needn't have bothered though as a few moments later, the sound of snarling erupted from that direction.

Bellowing, snarling ferocity, trees breaking and occasionally the sound of Scott's beams broke through the fray - always followed by an angry bellow from Creed. The fight was getting closer as Rogue picked up Jubilee and took her to Hank and the jet. The rest of the team spread out to wait for them to break through the clearing. When they did, Sabretooth was more crazed than any of them had ever seen him, even Logan.

The two men were locked together, their claws buried in the each other, neither willing to retract, both hoping the other would just bleed out. Wolverine's cowl and a large portion of his uniform was torn off, blood covered most of his body.

Creed was in no better shape. His clothing was shredded similarly, and blood dripped from his soaked hair. Scott came up behind them and motioned for them to spread out in a circle around the two and help Wolverine when the opportunity presented itself.

On seeing the X-men in the clearing, and his bait gone, Creed got madder somehow and just started to clench his fingers within Wolverine's sides causing the smaller man to scream out as Creed shredded him. He did the only thing he could do to retaliate – twisting his claws in Creed's chest and side as he made Creed scream out in agony to match Wolverine's.

Still, neither would yield. Creed pulled one hand free from Logan's back. He tore out a kidney and shredded his throat with his teeth before Logan could retract a claw. With a sickening gurgle, Logan's body went limp and Creed threw him to the side, stomping on his belly and groin, just trying to mutilate. Scott shot over his shoulder and Creed turned to the circle of X-men around him as he assessed the situation. He looked satisfied and ready to just run when his eyes locked on K and widened. He all but froze before he licked his lips clean of Logan's blood and turned to face her.

"I thought I smelled you on him. Now you're gonna pay," he growled as he stalked towards her, completely ignoring the near full team of mutants around him. When he was a few good paces from Logan's body, they all struck.

Gambit's cards flew as everyone's hair stood on end from the forthcoming massive bolt of lightning Storm fried him with. Before he could pass out, Jean blasted him with her full force, knocking him out as he hit the ground, unconscious and smoking. K leapt over him and ran to Logan's side. He wasn't moving at all. She leaned over him, listening for a heartbeat. It was quiet, but there, as was a very soft gurgling as he tried to breathe. She gritted her teeth and rubbed at her eyes on seeing how bad off he was and Scott rested his hand on her shoulder.

She felt horribly guilty and blamed herself for his condition just from Creed's little jibe before the X-Men gave him what for.

"He's come back from worse. Don't worry," Scott told her in a very gentle tone as he tried to be reassuring. Jean used her telekinesis to lift Logan's body. She floated him to the jet while Bobby brought Scott a set of strange metal gloves that slipped over Creeds' claws and a muzzle. The overall look seemed to really match the maniacal psychopath he was. They dragged him back with them and loading him into the cargo area, where he Scott put his 'boyscout' status to use and tied him tightly.

Meanwhile, K found her way back to Logan's side. She started to help clean him up, unable to do more while Hank continued to attend to Jubilee. When they landed, she stayed with Logan as most of the team hauled Creed to a cell. Scott said their intention was to keep him there until S.H.I.E.L.D. could retrieve him.

Hank gave K a chair next to Logan, and kindly gave her permission to remain with him. Jubilee had awakened on the jet and was mostly cleared by Hank before they hit the ground but would require a more thorough check up. Scott and Jean went to debrief with her on how it happened, and to find out if she knew his motives were more than just his yearly birthday wish for Logan.

K was sick to her stomach as she watched Logan ever so slowly knit back together. She leapt into a panic when his gurgling got louder. She was on her feet as she looked him over carefully and tried to find the cause of the decline. Hank appeared at his side a moment later and meticulously looked him over.

"Disturbing as it is,  _that_ is a good sign. He's getting more air now," Hank said gently before he patted her hand that was clutching on to Logan's. The sounds he was making were horrible and had her on edge. Hank seemed to be right though as his healing seemed to speed up considerably with the increased air. She started to drift off when the gurgling became quiet again. She leaned her head on his hand as she sat next to him. Not long after dawn, she woke up with him stroking her hair gently. Startled, she looked up, worry on her face as he smiled back to her.

"I am so sorry..." she started to say but he waved it off, urging her to come closer. She carefully sat on the edge of his bed and leaned over him when he grabbed her and pulled her to him only to kiss her deeply.

"Did he touch you?" he whispered, his voice raspy. She shook her head no as she stared into his icy blue eyes. He nodded and leaned back into the pillow for a few moments. "Let's get outta here then," he rasped, before he sat up and slid his legs off the bed. She rushed to his side, ready to help him if he needed it, but as soon as he was upright, he was rock solid.

His battered appearance gained a few looks from curious newer students as they made their way up the stairs. He pulled her into his bedroom pushed her back towards the bed. She was taken back by his borderline aggressive tone. When she fell back onto the bed, he followed her as soon as he'd shed what was left of the yellow and blue uniform, pulling her tightly to him.

"Logan – I'm not going anywhere," she said breathlessly as he nibbled her neck and curled around her. "You don't need to go a hundred miles an hour."

"Been a rough day. We were interrupted, and then  _you kneed me in the balls_ ," he growled out. "If that wasn't nice enough that was followed up by that jackass tearin' out my throat. I just wanna curl up with my woman," he mumbled as he continued nibbling on her neck.


	11. Everything Goes South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captured by a dark organization, K and Logan have to find a way to freedom. But can they get out before Sabretooth can dole out some lasting damage?

 

* * *

Deep in the underground section of the Xavier Institute, Sabretooth was finally waking up from his encounter with the X-Men. He glanced around the fairly comfortable quarters they'd provided, seeking out where the exit was.

Last time it was a breeze. Push the barrier and let it zap him until it just gave out. He smirked to himself. Stupid goody two shoes actually took the bait. He pulled his boot off and shook a small metal device out onto the floor. As he picked it up, he laughed a little to himself before he pressed a button on the end of it and stuck it under his bunk. He'd teach that uppity little frail to run from  _him_.

He leaned back and relaxed knowing it would just be a matter of time before his employer sprung him and snatched up the runt and the girl. Just thinking about her made his claws itch. They'd promised to give her to him if the tests didn't work out. He was mad as hell when they did, and beyond livid when she gutted him with those damn claws. If it weren't for those frikkin' claws … he shook his head with a growl.

Plenty of time for dealing with her later. First, he'd get to break the Runt. Watch him lose it while they finished up what they started with her, then he'd make sure to have his fun when she was a little less breakable.

He smiled to himself, hoping that he play with her where Logan had to hear it. Or see it. The thought got to him and he focused on it with an air of anticipation. Yeah, that's the way it'd go down. And when he was broken up about all they did to her, then the real fun would start.

The professor had promised to wipe Logan from her mind entirely and take the Runt down to a drooling doorstop again. That was what sealed the deal. He looked at the clock outside of his cell. Wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Logan's eyes popped open. He glanced around his room wildly while his heart felt as if it was trying to pound right out of his chest. He looked over at K, who was sitting up next to him, her eyes wide and the apprehension plain to see on her face. They glanced at each other and wordlessly scrambled out of bed as Logan screamed for Jean in his head. They had frantically pulled on enough clothing to cover what was necessary then run from his room. Jean was at the door of her room, looking frazzled as they approached her.

"I don't understand ... Logan what's going on?" Jean asked alarm in her voice.

"Choppers, Jeannie …. a bunch of them – they're not far off either. Get everyone up and out.  _now_!" Logan barked as K rushed down the stairs, Logan on her heels. He spun her around by her elbow when they reached the bottom.

"Where the hell d'you think you're goin'?" he asked. His voice was stressed, but it didn't outwardly show – easily stuffed down from years of dealing with this kind of mess.

"Do you have any weapons?" K asked with a stony look on her face.

He shook his head and nearly relaxed when he realized she wasn't running out on them. "Not something we keep around," he replied as she started pacing. "At least, not enough to fight them with."

The hallway erupted with quiet disorder as the students began to stream past them to the lower levels, funneling to their planned escape routes, and escorted by the staff of the Institute.

Charles approached the duo quietly. "The children will be clear in a matter of minutes. There are at least a dozen units on their way. We should leave," Charles said looking up to Logan. " _All_  of us."

Logan looked irritated as he told K to go with Charles before he turned and walked the other way.

With a frown, she watched him take a few steps before she got angry. "And what the hell are  _you_ doing if the rest of us are supposed to slip out?" She called out to him, her frustration getting the better of her.

"Just go on ahead," he said with his face blank.

Remy had taken her arm and started to pull her along with him, but she yanked herself from his grip and ran up behind Logan to shove his shoulder. "You can't stay here  _alone_ – there's too many of them. Don't be an idiot!" she shouted.

From nowhere, Gambit and Scott walked up behind her. "She's right, Logan," Scott said. "You can't do this alone."

Logan scoffed. "You gonna drag me out?" he asked, squaring up with him, challenging him.

"No, that would make  _sense_ ," Scott said in a dry tone. "We're going to go the monumentally  _stupid_ route and stay to help you. The last thing we need is for those people to brainwash you into killing the good guys again."

Not expecting that response from Scott, Logan simply blinked a few times and nodded his head once.

"I tink dat's mebbe his way of sayin'  _merci_ ," Remy teased.

The sound of the choppers was unmistakable in the distance now, even to Remy and Scott. "Alright, we need a plan," Scott started "Any ideas?"

They looked to each other a moment as Bobby trotted up behind Scott. "Kids are all out. What are we doing?" he asked, sounding a little winded and Logan started to smile. They might have a chance.

"They'll probably have heat sensors," Logan said. "Bobby, figure out how to shield us from them." Bobby nodded and rushed over to open a window. With one hand on the side of the brick face, he quickly encased the entire building in a solid foot of ice. He left only two entrances as Scott continued with his makeshift plan. Remy stuck near Logan, while Scott and K trekked off to a different area that Bobby had left cleared for an entry.

Bobby started to head to his position while Jean ran up to him, breathless but ready to join him. With a thought, she concentrated hard and linked up all of them so they could keep in silent contact.

It was mere minutes before the sound of commandos trying to sneak through the halls sounded like elephants to the rest of the group through their connection with Logan and K.

As they got closer to her, Jean gave them a psychic command to forget all of their training and orders. The result was a solid platoon worth of heartless mercenaries that had no idea who or where they were. Some actually looked frightened at the other groups of men sneaking through the building. There was some friendly fire on their part, and a small group of them died at the hands of their comrades.

Meanwhile, Scott and K had slipped down a hallway when she grabbed him and pulled him into an empty classroom. She pressed him against the wall and covered his mouth, peeking out the crack in the door as they were just missed by a small group of men traveling through. Scott was smirking at her when she removed her hand. She rolled her eyes at him but before she could turn back towards the door, Creed burst through it.

* * *

Logan had lost his patience waiting and had started shredding soldiers as soon as he smelled Creed loose. He hadn't found him yet, but he and Remy were making a heavy dent in the soldier's numbers. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Creed as the maniac ran hard for the exit. He had K slung over his shoulder, her hands and feet bound and she appeared to be bloody and unconscious.

Logan, frustrated with how the fight was going, sliced through anyone that was in his path between he and K until he burst through the door behind Creed when the whole fight turned on him. Hard.

Heavy fire opened up around him and before he could make more than a few steps in any direction, he was on his knees. Bullets had punctured him and had ricocheted off his bones as they tore him up. Blood was everywhere. The troops that were inside came up behind him and shot him from all sides. Before he knew it, he lost the battle and passed out in a pool of his own blood to the hail of gunfire.

* * *

Logan woke up in a metal cell. He was stripped down and covered in sticky not quite dry blood. Shaky, he got up and tried to see across the dimly lit hallway. Across the way was another cell much like his with a small figure on the ground. He squinted hard as he tried to see who it was when Creed's voice echoed in the hallway.

"Glad to see you up, Runt. Going to make this next part that much more fun. Didn't want you to miss the show." He laughed as he walked towards Logan's cell.

Logan tried to pop his claws into Creed's face on the other side of the bars but simply couldn't – instead, a sharp pain ringing up his arms when he tried. He looked down and realized he was wearing the same kind of restraints Scott had put on Creed.

The monster laughed at him. With a shuffling noise, the small figure across the hall started to move.

Both men stopped what they were doing and looked over in time to see her sit up, and on seeing even the silhouette of how her hair was falling, Logan very quickly realized that it was K. His jaw locked and he reached through the bars, trying desperately to get a hold of Victor. He managed to wrap his arm around Creed's throat and hauled him back against the bars with all his strength. When he tried to pull himself loose from Logan's stranglehold, Logan braced his feet on the bars. He utilized every ounce of strength and weight to strangle the bastard.

Just as Creed realized he was still losing to him, a shot rang out and a dart hit Logan in the neck. But it didn't stop him. He kept choking Creed as more darts hit him. Before the darts could fully kick in, Creed had quit struggling and gone limp, but Logan kept a tight hold on him even as he started to drift into blackness himself.

* * *

When Logan woke up again, he was chained tightly, muzzled and totally immobile. He blinked hard, trying to shake off the haze as he began to look around himself. He wasn't in the cell anymore. Steel tables, medical equipment and a tank of greenish water were scattered all around him. He could smell something hot nearby too. Foggy, he looked around as he tried to concentrate. But it was the voice of a ghost from his past that snapped him out of the haze.

"I really don't know why I agreed to this, Creed," he started, before he looked towards Logan with a stony expression. "Gentlemen, it appears that Weapon X is now awake. Cornelius, are we ready to begin?" The professor's voice echoed in the vast room, barking out commands as he moved through it. "Hines, be sure that we're recording – if Creed is correct, we'll need the footage later when we start his reprogramming."

Finally, the professor turned to Logan with nothing but cold hatred on his features. "You've set us back years, but I  _will_  have my weapon. One way or another."

Logan growled in response as the man turned his attention elsewhere.

The professor was talking to a crowd that Logan hadn't realized was there until he'd addressed them. They were seated high above the lab, looking down at the setup below. The observation rooms were filled with high ranking military from around the globe.

Logan could hear translators relaying the information that the bald lab rat was saying if he tried to listen. He didn't bother however - already fairly well versed in the long and short of it. He looked around the room again more closely as the professor spoke, happy to ignore his long winded sales pitch. His eyes finally froze and focused on the tank in front of him and he couldn't stop the whispered 'oh no' when he saw that K was in it.

Wires and leads covered her otherwise naked body. Her skin was punctured with some odd looking heavy needles. His eyes widened as he stumbled into a flashback ... only he'd never seen it from this angle ... only from  _inside_ the green liquid. His gaze darted around the room as realization sunk in fully.

It was a goddamned demonstration.

He looked to her head where an oxygen mask was on her tightly, maybe too tightly. Her hair floated in the liquid like gently drifting seaweed and her eyes were closed. The protrusions on her face made him wince. He looked back down her body as his heart raced.

She looked totally peaceful and unaware. The fingers on her hand nearest him twitched as he watched her and he held his breath for a moment as he made his second big realization. They were going to make him watch what they did.

Logan fought hard to find a way out of his bonds. Twisting and pulling - but it didn't take him any time at all to figure out the way he was restrained gave him nothing to work with. It was then that the hook handed professor turned to him, casual in his explanation to the crowd of the connection between the two.

Several of the military men started to nod their heads in approval as they waited to see the big show while Logan began to panic. But he could hardly wiggle, which made the whole thing worse. As the machinery around him started to warm up, a large hand slipped up under his jaw and held his head to be sure he was facing the tank where K was floating. A second hand steadied him as its owner made sure he couldn't move away or turn his head from it.

The professor gave an order and a loud buzzer echoed in the room as the feed began.

K's eyes flew open and she screamed silently, unable to move as the water around her boiled. She tried to struggle, but got nowhere with it and Logan just stared as the back of her hand was flat against the glass as she gave up trying to pound it. Her back arched as she tried to get away from the searing heat that was attacking her from all angles.

Then, all at once, she simply stilled as the weight of the metal they'd poured into her little body sank her down. The monitors showing her heart and respiration were flatlined. Logan's gaze was locked on her, as he held his breath. Minutes ticked by as the entire room just stared at the woman in the tank. Logan began to shake the slightest, sure that she was dead as the rage of what they'd just done to this girl started to sink in. Some of the military brass watching had began to make moves to leave, their entourages clearing the way for the Generals. But as even the professor's team looked ready to break something, the heart monitor began to beep.

Relief and horror hit Logan in equal parts. She was alive, but they were going to ruin her. The professor turned his attention back to Logan, his expression triumphant and gloating.

When the professor saw how Logan was reacting, he smiled ominously before he nodded to Hines, giving her the cue that she could stop the recording. He had absolutely  _everything_ he needed. The film of the girl in pain - something that the professor was sure would work on several fronts, including reminding Logan of his own experience. He signaled for them both to be returned to their cells as he continued his sales pitch to the impressed military men above.

They threw Logan back in his cell, though they didn't bother to untie him from his chains. As far as the guards were concerned, that one was best left like he was.

He watched as they dragged K back to her cell. She was still and looked lifeless. They dropped her on the floor and closed the door behind them when they left.

Hours passed before she started to wake up. The sound of movement caught Logan's attention. He called out to her and she turned her head slowly toward him, clearly nowhere near healed up yet.

His anger began to bubble. She was hurt worse than he had been after the bonding. She was still bleeding and not healing quite fast enough. The doctors had misjudged her abilities - or had pushed too far, too fast for the sake of the demonstration.

Logan couldn't relax. He couldn't even consider resting, not knowing what was coming sooner than later. But he was exhausted. Every time he drifted off from exhaustion, the image of K writhing and screaming under water would flood his thoughts or he'd see Creed working her over, making it so he could hardly close his eyes without seeing something he wished had never happened or never  _would_ happen.

It was during one of the times he had drifted off when, Creed came by to crouch down next to the bars of K's cell door. Her eyes were barely open as he whispered what his plans were for her in nauseating detail. He promised her that she wasn't getting out, that no one was coming for her, and that he was going to kill Logan when no one could stop him. He reached through the bars to run a finger down her jaw, and though she wanted to move away from him, she simply couldn't move a muscle. He chuckled as he left her there, to drift off. Helpless to do anything about it.

* * *

In Westchester, the Institute was in a flurry of activity. They'd managed to clean up the mess from the soldiers over the past few days, and all of the students were back, pitching in, trying to ignore the fact that all of them were shaken up by the invasion, but no one was more grim faced or worked up than Scott.

This just wasn't supposed to happen on his watch. At all.

It was bad enough that he was missing Logan and the new girl - but Jubilee was an absolute wreck. She was smart enough to figure out that it was Creed that led them there. That put the device inside that showed the soldiers exactly where to go.

And the fact that they'd brought him back to the mansion after he'd used her as live bait … It was clear to Scott that the brightly colored teen needed some attention. He found her sitting in a window seat in the living room, her feet drawn up under her as she had her arms wrapped around herself, staring out over the grounds with shining eyes.

"Jubilee," Scott said gently as he sat down nearby. "This was not your fault. I know you think it is, but it's not. Not even close."

She let out a huff and turned his way, rolling her eyes as she did so. "Right. Is that what  _Jean_ said?"

"No," Scott replied with a frown, though with his visor on, he knew it was harder to read him than the others. "No, that's just … he would have gotten in anyhow. And Jean and the Professor are looking for them. We're going to bring them back."

For a moment, she looked totally defiant, chin out, and nose in the air, but she couldn't quite hold her hard line pose. Not when she was so worried. "I know," she said with a sigh before she simply leaned into Scott and let him pull her into a little one armed hug.

* * *

It was early the morning following the bonding that Creed made an appearance in the cell block. He scowled at Logan before he turned to K and simply let himself into her cell. "You and I have a little fun planned," he purred, leaving Logan shaking in rage as he tried against all sense to get out of his bonds, knowing she couldn't even begin to fight him off.

But before he could get himself more worked up, a handful of guards appeared to drag Logan from his cell - acting as though they couldn't hear the assault going on in the cell across the way.

They raised their rifles and shot him with darts, waiting for him to pass out before they even considered opening the door.

* * *

It was after dark when the guards dragged Logan back to his cell. He was heavily drugged - and doped enough that he couldn't pick up his head, let alone move.

The only bright spot was that Creed wasn't anywhere that Logan could see when they dropped him on the metal floor of his cell and locked him in.

His head was pounding from hours and hours of tests and attempts by their psychics to break through his psychic defenses. And though they hadn't managed it, he was dragged down by the facts. In spite of everything he'd done and all the good he'd worked for, he was right back where he started. At the mercy of the monsters running Weapon X.

He was trapped and he knew it. So with all that had transpired weighing heavily on his mind and his conscience, he welcomed the blackness that came from exhaustion and drugs.

* * *

.

After God only knows how long, K woke up again, finally healed, even if the buzz of her healing factor was enough to make her skin feel as if she was buzzing. She started to push herself into a seated position, and found that it was a real job. She was  _so_  weak. And everything felt heavy and slower. She glanced around her cell and then as if she just remembered something important, across the hall to Logan, who she was surprised to find was watching her in a similar state of misery, leaning against the wall sideways.

"What did they do to you?" she asked as she found her way to her feet slowly.  _Good God, even this is awful,_  she thought as she leaned against the wall near the door of her cell, panting. "I know I got my ass handed to me. I can't … remember much." She frowned at the lie. She could remember the tank. And the heat. And after …

She shook her head hard, and tried to push down the panic that was rising. She couldn't think about  _that_. Not him …

"Doesn't matter," Logan replied quietly, unknowingly echoing her train of thought. "Pop your claws, sweetheart."

She frowned at him and raised an eyebrow in question, and before her nerves caught up to her, she swallowed and nodded, doubtfully, doing as he told her to. With the echoing  _snikt!_ she stared at the shining metal protruding from her hands in awe before her hands began to shake as she leaned heavily against the wall, clearly in shock.

"You still with me, darlin'?" Logan asked, his voice quiet.

"Oh sure," she said, her voice wavering. "Just … trying.. not to  _scream…_ " she'd lost her voice by the end of that sentence, and she'd closed her eyes to try and break loose of that thought. She didn't ever want to scream. For  _any_ reason.

Logan watched the door from across the hall, though the silence spoke volumes as it stretched on. Finally, K cleared her throat and looked around her cell before she glanced across the hall again, realizing quickly enough that his accommodations looked odd. "Why is your cell different?" she asked as she tried to wipe the half dried tears from her cheeks. She couldn't even remember crying.

"Coated in Adamantium. Kinda stupid, seeing as I can't use my damn claws anyhow," he grumbled.

But K's eyes widened as she tried to gain her bearings while her mind raced ahead of her. "I'm in  _concrete_ ," she whispered.

He picked his head up from where he'd been resting and looked over to see for himself. When he caught up, he perked up considerably, realizing that it wasn't over just yet. There was hope, at least for her. He leaned forward and tried to look up and down the hallway. "You getting around OK?" he asked in an urgent whisper.

She shrugged and tested out walking with the extra weight. It would take a little getting used to, but she thought she'd be alright. Without any more consideration than to see that she could move, she decided now was as good a time as any. She tried out her claws and carved out the concrete like it was soft butter. Next, the bars on her door – plain steel. No problem on either. She sliced through the door and let herself out before she made her way right over to Logan who was already shaking his head.

"Not gonna happen. As soon as you so much as touch those bars, we're busted. Run," he whispered.

But she gave him a dry look and ignored his urging her to ditch him. She held his gaze as she stuck her claws through the access panel on his cell, and it partly worked, since it broke the lock on the door but it also set off an alarm.

He got to his feet on his own, shaking his head at her. "You're gonna get both of us caught," he told her and she growled at him in response. As the two of them stepped out of his cell, Sabretooth's roar echoed in the hallway. "Tell me you can run," Logan said.

She'd gone pale on hearing Creed's roar, and after he asked her the second time as he pulled on her to move, she finally nodded and the two of them took off down the hall. Both knew that Creed was ultimately just a warm up, and the guards that were surely behind him would be armed to the teeth.

But Logan seemed to know his way around this place, and he was determined to get them out. Fast. The two of them zipped down hallways and up stairs, zig-zagging their way through the facility, and avoiding the guards that were scrambling … but the sounds of Creed on their tail was only getting louder … and when they heard another snarl bouncing off of the stairwell they'd just stepped out of, they knew it was time to move faster.

K was panting, trying hard to catch her breath and Logan was determined to keep her at his pace, even when he had to pick her up and carry her. But in the end, Creed caught up to them just outside the outer doors. They were nearly to the treeline as the heavy bomb door closed behind Creed, effectively sealing the guards into the complex while they had to wait for the system to reset.

K was clearly shaken as she tried to put more distance between them, though Logan stepped forward looking determined.

"You gonna try to take me without the pig stickers, boy?" Creed growled out as he stalked closer, though on seeing K move in the trees, he was sure to turn her way with one finger pointed at her. "You and I ain't done yet."

She blanched, eyes wide as she started to panic and the fight started. But the deck was absolutely stacked against Logan in that he was worn down and had no way to use his claws.

But Logan got in some good shots before Creed had a hold of him. Creed pounded him mercilessly as Logan fought with all he had left. He was losing. And K was just trying to find a way to make it  _stop_. It hadn't been entirely one sided. Logan had landed some solid hits, but without his claws bleeding Creed out, he was unable to keep up with him blow for blow.

As K tried to push down the panic, Creed got Logan on the ground and climbed over him, hammering him into the dirt. When it was clear that Logan was knocked senseless, a wicked smile drifted across Victor's face as he decided he'd choke the little runt out - payback for earlier.

He had his hands around Logan's throat and without a word uttered, he simply began to squeeze, all of his weight pressed down on Logan's neck as Logan's hands drifted up to try to get Victor off of him. He was turning purple as Creed smirked grimly down at him, and Logan frantically tried to pry Victor's fingers off his neck. He couldn't even arch his back to gain distance, and Creed was keeping just out of his reach, avoiding the random swings that Logan would try.

Creed was chuckling as Logan closed his eyes tight trying to gasp for air that wasn't coming as the smaller man's hands started to slip while he began to black out.

That did it for K though. With her heart pounding in her ears she started for them, working her way up to a dead run before she balled up her fists and put her hands together to crack him in the face, knocking his grip loose as he fell off balance from his perch over Logan.

His smile was gone as she drove forward again, trying to do him some damage, though she hadn't utilized her claws. As soon as he was even partway off of Logan, he rolled to his side, gasping for air with K wailing on Creed.

Of course, even though her hits were more substantial than they'd been before, it wasn't enough to leave much of an impact on him - not until the claws came out, but before she could make solid contact with him and cut him, he caught her hands and slammed her down on her back.

"You think those shiny new claws give you any hope of gettin heavy on me, girlie?" Creed rasped out. "Ya think you can stop me from doin'  _anything_?" He leaned a little closer and all at once, she lost what little nerve she had left, going right into panic mode again, nearly hyperventilating and frozen to the spot.

He shifted his grip on her just as Logan got to his feet and came barreling over, bashing into Victor in a tackle. Once he'd knocked him loose, he shouted at K to run, though she could see exactly where that fight was going to go as Logan hadn't gotten his breath very well yet, and Victor was already getting the upper hand.

"You have got to be joking," K breathed out, her heart still hammering.

"I've been waiting years for this," Creed growled out, bashing Logan hard again, and knocking him to the ground. Once again he was working him over, but this time, he wasn't going to choke him out as his claws lengthened and he started to pierce the skin.

K started to shake her head, her breath hitching … he was going to tear his throat out, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get him out of there if that happened. The leering smile Creed gave her was enough to make her take a step back, her hand over her heart. And almost as if someone else was in control, she swung her arm up, her claws shining in the sun as she hacked off the arm that was holding Logan down. His grip instantly set Logan free, though he snarled her way and lunged for her.

She let out a little noise of pure fear as he closed in on her, and the next thing she knew, she was pinned to the ground with her claws up through his jaw at an odd angle.

" _Get him off of me!"_  K called out when she realized that even though she'd skewered him through the head, the monster was still breathing, and there was no way she was going to be able to move him.

Coughing, Logan pushed him away from her and pulled her up to her feet. He allowed her a moment - but just a moment - to hold her protectively before it was time to go. "We gotta get some distance, we're out of time," he rasped out at just over a whisper. She nodded, glancing again at Victor where he lay in the snow, drooling and staring vacantly.

With a firm grip on her hand, Logan lead the way, never once letting go of as he guided her deeply into the woods. They crossed an icy river and found a place to hide.

Several hours later, they watched from their craggy hiding spot as a platoon of soldiers rushed past. The patrol was looking for them as they huddled together in their cave. They hadn't gotten nearly far enough away yet, but she quickly slipped back from the cave opening.

Logan however, silently watched the goings on out of the nearly invisible cave, motionless as fresh snow began to fall outside. For now, they were safe –  _relatively speaking_. Weapon X didn't have them. They were alive. But he still had no way to use his claws or teeth with the gloves and muzzle on, and K had finally begun to show signs of severe trauma as she shook, though she felt warm.

Logan could only hope that Charles or Jean were looking for them. The more unresponsive K got to his prompting and her surroundings, the more he realized she'd need more help than he could give her.


	12. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftershocks from the incident with Weapon X and Sabretooth are finally discussed. Both K and Logan have a decision to make.

 

* * *

 _I've got them_ , Jean projected out, already in motion before she'd even set the helmet for Cerebro down again. _Those creeps have so many hide outs and bases …_   _ugh_.

 _Blackbird's ready and waiting. I'm relaying all of this to the Avengers_ , Scott answered before he hit his com to get his team moving. He changed quickly, having kept a uniform in his office to save himself a few minutes. As he rushed out of his office, he very nearly bowled over Jubilee and Zoe, who knew something was up almost immediately since they  _should_ have been with the other kids socializing or in the library. Which means they  _should_ have gotten yelled at for walking the halls. But instead, all they got from Scott was a  _look_ that made it clear that he couldn't afford to be slowed down and a muttered "find something to do" before he almost skipped into a run on his way for the elevator.

Jubilee's entire down expression shifted and a tentative smile graced her features. "Combat uniform … this is good."

"You have a very weird idea of 'good'," Zoe replied, still frowning after where Scott had disappeared.

* * *

Logan watched from the mouth of the cave as the troops finally headed back to the hidden base, driven back by a massive snowstorm that was building outside. It was warm enough in there even without a fire as long as the wind didn't blow directly into the mouth of the cave, so for the sake of keeping hidden, Logan didn't try to light one.

After retreating to one of the further back areas of the cave, K huddled into a ball, her arms around her knees, settling into shock from everything that had happened. After lobotomizing Victor, she'd run with Logan in silence as far as he was willing to push her, unable to answer even the simplest question he threw at her in his attempt to keep her from completely shutting down as they trekked through the woods.

Logan had gotten increasingly more concerned about her as they moved further away from the complex, but he didn't think she was going to react this way. Not when she'd seemed like she was able to spot the traps nearly as well as he could slipping through the woods. But that was then.

As the blizzard picked up outside, Logan made his way over to where K was curled up on her side in the farthest reaches of the cave. She was wet, shivering and seemed to be unconscious.

He glanced around the cave as if he'd find anything useful, swearing to himself for not just killing a couple soldiers so they'd at least be better clothed "I'll go find some wood once I know the patrols are gone," he promised as he took off his mostly dry shirt and draped it over her. "Just try to sleep if you can." He watched her snuggle herself into a little ball before he worked back up to the mouth of the cave, watching the snow blow it shut. It wasn't going to do them any good to hide then go out after the storm was over. Any stealth they had on their side would be completely shot if they had a trail going through the snow pointing out exactly where they were. He had to get her warmed up.

As soon as the cave blew closed, Logan slipped over to her, and spooned her – nothing more than an attempt to share his body heat with her. She stiffened when he first touched her, but relaxed as he spoke to her, finally squeezing her tightly as she settled into him.

* * *

"We should have brought Jean," Scott grumbled as they approached the general area that she'd pinged. He had the coordinates of where she'd found them last, but that was hours ago, and as they circled high above the snowy terrain - and even above the swirling blizzard dropping snow with driving winds- he knew that Logan could be nearly anywhere.

Storm gave him a sidelong glance then turned her attention back to the swirling clouds below. "If you can get a closer idea, I can help. But I hate to interfere when it's keeping their forces back," she pointed out.

"That's why I haven't asked for you to intervene yet," Scott agreed before finally flipping over to the comms, hailing Jean with his request to look again.

* * *

K startled awake, finally warmed up and rested to the point that she knew she needed to fuel her healing or suffer from it. The quick movement easily woke Logan, though he was sure not to make a move, content for now to stay where he was, warm and  _relatively_ comfortable. As far as caves went.

"Where are we?" K asked thickly. She pushed herself upright, and Logan picked up his arm to allow her more free movement. As she sat up to stretch, she didn't feel much like talking, and her she ached from every angle while her head pounded.

"Not entirely sure. Montana, I think. That's where they were testing out of last I knew," Logan replied, tired from the fiasco and more than a little concerned for her.

"Are you sure?" K asked as she turned to look at him, her arms crossed over her middle and her shoulders hunched over.

It only took Logan a few moments to think it over, considering the last time he'd been out in that area. Grimly, he nodded in the near pitch blackness before he realized she might not be looking directly at him and shifted to answer more clearly. "Pretty sure," he said, then got up himself to head up to the entrance of the cave. The wind was still howling outside.

"So. We got out. Now what do we do?" she asked quietly. Her hair had partially frozen to her head from the river crossing which had thankfully washed away most of the blood the pair had lost and spilled, and mostly washed away any foreign scents from both of them.

Logan let out all his breath and rejoined her, pulling her closer, before he wrapped himself around her both for contact and to make sure she didn't chill again.

"We should make sure you're nice and warm then make a run for it in the storm. They won't be out in it. Too hard on them, and the choppers can't fly in this mess," he told her as she wove her arms around him, and kissed his shoulder.

"Right. Cover our tracks," she agreed. They stayed like that for a while before she finally spoke again. "Sorry for all this mess."

He picked his head up, and looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "What the blazes are you apologizing for?" he ground out, though it sounded more or less muffled with the stupid muzzle still in place.

"All of it. The school. Getting caught …. _Creed_ ," she said quietly. "I should have attacked him faster."

"Knock it off," he growled. "Not your fault. Any of it.  _Any of it._ "

She fell very still then lightly shook her head no. She couldn't get the words out. He was so wrong.

"I'm sorry, darlin. I promised to protect you and I blew it. Shoulda just done the right thing and ran with the rest of the mansion instead of tryin' to stop them." His tone was quiet and something about the inflection had her getting mad. But at least the anger seemed to clear her head a little.

" _No_. Not your fault," she managed through clenched teeth and tears blurring her vision. Her voice shook with anger, but it could easily have been misinterpreted.

Especially since he simply nodded and gave her a squeeze then gently tipped her head to the side to try and curl into her as best he could with the muzzle still on, all the while whispering out  _'OK. OK.'_

Her hand drifted up to his face, her intention to cover his mouth, but that was out. At least, it had no practical effect since he could still talk. So instead, she delicately ran her fingers over the device as she blinked away her angry tears. "Alright. How does this  _stupid thing_ come off?" she asked as she inspected it in the low light.

He chuckled at the look of concentration through her tears and instead took her hand away from the device. "Beats the hell outta me. Cyke would have to tell ya," he replied.

She frowned and took her free hand to run her fingers along the upper edge of it before she rested her hand on the side of his neck.

"What's it made of?" she asked, thinking out loud, and honestly, more to herself than to him. This was as good a distraction as any to keep her mind from going over the events of the past few days. But at least she knew it as she pushed any emotion down. She leaned closer to him and examined what she could of the muzzle, even going so far as to turn his head to look at the sides and back better.

"Why? You feelin' brave?" he asked as he cocked his eyebrow up, hopeful and yet, really not wanting to pressure her.

"Not particularly," she replied flatly, though she still popped one claw with a grimace. She brought it nearer to him, then froze up, clenched her hand into a tighter fist and retracted it as her hand shook from the cold or nerves or likely both. "I can't do it. It feels – _weird_ ," she spit out, rubbing her arm. "Which I know has to sound totally stupid to you."

He took her hand in his and splayed her fingers out as he watched her stretch her hands, smirking under the muzzle. He knew  _exactly_ what she meant. "Let me help if you're nervous," he said, twining their fingers together for a moment. "Go on, sweetheart, gimme a little claw," he said as he shifted his grip to cover her hand with his.

She gave him a half-hearted smile and nodded before she extended one claw. He guided her hand towards his face and gently touched the edge of the new blade on the muzzle, testing it. As luck would have it, the claw slid through it easily.

Logan's eyes brightened. "You're going to have to slip it between the muzzle and my neck. Don't worry about cutting me," he told her. "I'd do it myself but I can't  _see._ "

"You're doing this on purpose," she accused, only getting a little smile in response. She was nervous but with her breath held, she followed his instructions. "I'm gonna be so mad if I cut you...." When it cut through, he wrenched the metal off and tossed it across the cave. When he looked back to her with a grin on his face, she couldn't help but return it just before he pulled her to him and kissed the sense out of her. When he finally let her up for air, she stared at him breathlessly.

"A thank you would have been more than enough," she breathed out. "What was that for?"

He chuckled at her in response. "For bein' alive, an' bein'  _you_ ," he said with a bit of fresh determination in his voice. "You saved both of our hides when you stabbed that jackass."

She blushed in response and averted her eyes for a few moments as he simply watched her and pulled her to the cave floor with him, curling up, grateful that they'd gotten out. Even if they weren't entirely out of the woods yet. And just like that, she very suddenly realized she had nothing to occupy her mind and the terror and panic started to push forward before she found something to latch onto.

She cleared her throat and focused on his face, her eyes narrowed. "How long were we there?" she asked as she rubbed her hand on the light beard he now wore.

"Not too long. Grows in fast," he answered before he scrubbed one hand along his cheek for emphasis. He was leaning in for another kiss, his smile turning almost predatory when she seemed to realize how close they were to each other. Her pulse picked up and a sharp pang of fear hit her hard.

"You know what happened, right?" she asked as he rested his hand at her waist and kissed her neck as she started to stiffen up further.

"What?" he mumbled as he continued to pepper her with little kisses. His whiskers tickled her neck, and when she cringed, he stopped and pulled back to look at her.

"That I … that I let him -" she choked out, unable to finish her thought as he stopped his advance entirely and backed up to give her some space.

"You didn't  _let_ him do anything," he insisted. "And you pushed by the fear to put a hole in him. Don't let him change you now," he said sternly. "He doesn't _deserve_ to have an impact on you like that."

She watched him as he kept his ground, and it didn't take long before she ran her hand up to his neck and pulled him closer to kiss him deeply. When the kiss ended, he surprised her when positioned himself to curl around her again and pulled her close, simply holding her and letting her use his arm for a pillow. They laid there like that, with him wrapped around her protectively until both of them fell asleep.

* * *

Logan was sure it'd been a few hours since they'd passed out, but now, silence replaced the howling winds and Logan's eyes popped open. His head whipped towards the entrance and he cursed the metal coverings on his hands that kept him from letting his claws fly to protect K. After everything that had happened in the Weapon X facility, she didn't need to be the first line of defense. It wasn't right. Especially if it was Creed - and he knew it would be. Sooner or later. He stalked toward the entrance and waited, listening for any tip off as to if they were alone or if their forward team had caught up to them.

He glanced over his shoulder toward the still curled up woman then turned back to the entrance and gently began to poke through the snow until he could look outside. "K, darlin', come on. We gotta move now. Come here," he beckoned as he widened the hole in the snow. He stuck his head out and he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"That solves a few problems," he said as he dug out more quickly, with K joining in to make quick work of the snowed in cave opening. When they stepped out into the bright light as it danced across the deep snow, it was easy to spot the Blackbird waiting for them at the bottom of the mountainside in a clearing of sparkling white.

The two of them emerged from the cave and they started down the mountainside. He held her hand as she lost her footing a few times on her way down. It wasn't until they were halfway down the mountain that she afforded a look around her - amazed at the wall of snow that Storm had kept swirling around the clearing, the goddess herself hovering thirty feet off the ground, her arms outstretched and her eyes fogged over. K couldn't help but to watch her appreciatively as Logan pulled her closer to the jet.

When they reached the bottom of the valley, Scott smirked as he greeted Logan with a blanket in his hand that he held out to him. "We got here as quick as we could. The facility must be blocking telepaths." Logan glanced toward the barely clothed woman a step behind him before he snatched the blanket out of Scott's hand He didn't say a word as he wrapped it around her shoulders and she shivered heavily. Though when she swayed, Logan simply picked her up and carried her the rest of the way.

Scott quickly got them airborne as Hank checked over K and tried to talk Logan into setting her down.

"She's cold, Henry," Logan protested as he clutched her to himself, not ready to tell them so candidly all that had gone on. Not until she could fall asleep, and only if she didn't want to spill the worst of it herself. Hank nodded before covering them both with another blanket as she shivered heavily in his arms.

The flight back was uneventful. After a little while, K stopped shivering which got Hank to quit hovering over the two of them. She sighed a little and relaxed in Logan's arms as she finally fell asleep, her arms wrapped around his neck, totally unwilling to let him go.

When they landed, K was still soundly out and reluctantly, Logan finally handed her over to Hank, who was surprised by her sudden weight gain as the two shared a grim look. Logan changed quickly in the locker room, then was sure to stick to her side once Hank had gotten her settled into a hospital bed.

Blood was drawn, tests were run, and though the results were  _mostly_ normal, he didn't want to release her until she woke up and could answer some questions. And while she was out, Scott took the opportunity to pull Logan aside and find out what all they'd missed, since clearly, something was up.

Logan turned toward K's sleeping form and nodded, following him silently to the War Room, where Jean and Charles waited. It was clear that he was distracted, and his details were more sparse than usual as he made a quick synopsis of the events.

"Are you sure that's all that happened?" Scott asked, not at ease in the least after hearing Logan's story and watching his old teammate looking so … unsettled.

"No," Logan admitted. "But I'm only gonna expand on it if she won't. Right now? I don't … I'm not gonna do that to her."

"You're blocking me," Jean said, looking shocked as Logan met her gaze, but he didn't explain himself.

"If I could have the room," Charles said, giving both Scott and Jean significant looks.

"Of course, professor," Scott replied, though he was frowning deeply as he and Jean left Logan to discuss things with Charles.

* * *

In the lab, when K's eyes finally opened, her heart monitor ran wild. Before Hank could get to her side, she'd already torn off her leads and IV and was scuttling backward from the end of the bed to avoid him. She managed to get free of the bed and backed backed away from him, clearly breathing hard with her hands held out in front of her before she recognized there was no threat coming from him.

She was so focused on getting away from the lab that she bumped into Logan, who had come in to see her. She froze when she bumped him, then jumped away from him when he lightly touched her arm. When she realized her mistake, she slid to the ground with one hand over her mouth. She sat there for a moment like that trying to get a handle on herself before Logan crouched down next to her.

"Sweetheart, come on," Logan urged gently. "Let's get you outta this lab and in your own clothes … or one of my shirts." He gave her a crooked smirk as he got her to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her as he led her out of the lab without a word from her.

Charles watched them go, a frown settled deeply on his features as he thought it through. The terror she was broadcasting was palpable. There was no thought to it, just pure fear. Unlike Logan though, her first inclination did not seem to be to fight. At least not yet. She was looking for a way out.

* * *

Charles found K a week later as most of the residents of the house were in full preparations for the holidays. She was curled up in the library, book forgotten at her side as she stared out the window. Her arms were wrapped loosely around her legs with her knees drawn to her chest. She almost looked like she could have been asleep with her head resting on her knees.

"I haven't seen you in a while, K. Have you been hiding?" Charles asked quietly as he joined her. She slowly picked up her head and turned his way a moment before her gaze drifted to the ground.

"Maybe," she whispered, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists in the fabric of her jeans. "Didn't mean to be a source of frustration." It was crystal clear how sorely depressed she was, not to mention the fact that she was showing all the signs of someone that had endured recent trauma. It didn't take a telepath to see that she had wasn't feeling particularly welcome - though it was entirely self imposed.

The truth was that K had determined that she had over extended her stay and was currently trying to decide the best direction to disappear. Of course, that was what she'd been trying to decide for over a week. She just couldn't think clearly enough to figure it out. Every time she thought she'd decided, she'd relive the whole experience, and would spiral down further, convinced that any attempt at escape would only end with Creed cornering her again.

Several of the residents of the Institute had told her that she was safe there, they were kind enough and well intentioned. But … clearly they were wrong. She'd had better luck alone. But then that had her considering Creed finding her again - and she knew he would. He always did. And that had her considering other options seeing as there  _was_ no clear escape. By her best estimate ... nowhere was safe. And sooner or later, she'd end up right back where they'd just left.

Charles could see her incertitude was the only reason she hadn't simply disappeared. So he elected to use it as a chance to try and save her from what he knew would happen if she left.

"Would you join me for tea this afternoon? You don't have to talk about anything. I won't intrude, but I am always here if you would  _like_  to talk," Charles said, very gently, knowing he had to try to convince her to stay - at least until she was stabilized. Not to mention that for her to leave now would do as much damage to Logan as it would to her.

K seemed to think it over for some time before she nodded and released the grip on her jeans. To slowly stretch out her legs. "Thank you," she replied finally. "I can do that."

Charles touched her hand gently, and gave her fingers a little squeeze. "I'll see you at two." He said with his eyes twinkling.

Again, she nodded once then swung her feet over the edge of the window seat as Charles left her to gather herself. She sighed to herself and rubbed her hand over her eyes. She had been trying to put some distance up. But Charles had been so generous, she simply didn't feel right disappearing. The women in residence had been patient as well. They tried to simply be there, but when K was isolating, the last thing she wanted was a bunch of near strangers lurking. The guys had kept a bit of distance. Except of course for Logan. And he had been incredibly patient with her, understanding of whatever she wanted, even as she shut him out completely. She hadn't slept in his room since the first night after their return.

That night they'd gone to bed, and he'd curled around her from behind. He kissed her neck as she drifted off, and she'd really only fallen asleep because of the way he was holding her, but when she woke up hours later with his arm over her waist and his breath on her shoulder, she panicked. She held her breath as she pushed away from him, not stopping until she was backed against the wall. Her claws were out and she was trembling uncontrollably until she realized who he was.

He had tried to comfort her, but she just felt so guilty about her reaction towards him. Ultimately, she couldn't do that to him again. She didn't return to his room the next night, and had avoided him entirely ever since. She had never felt so guilty before in her life. He didn't deserve the big 'fight me' response, but … she couldn't stop it from happening. What's more, she  _really_ liked him. And she hadn't liked anyone like that in  _decades._

But instead of letting him help, she was wrecking whatever it was that had drawn him to her with her paranoid reactions. And he didn't even seem to get mad about it. Instead, he told her he would  _help_. He promised that his door was open for her whenever she wanted, and that he was just a call away if she wanted her distance– he didn't want to push her.

To top it off, K wasn't sleeping. At all. She couldn't fall to sleep without him, and being alone in the dark ended up being every bit as terrifying as waking up with him next to her. Because being alone … just sent her back to the cell.

Sleeping with him ...  _started_ fine. She'd relax knowing it was Logan's arm around her. And then, she'd move in her sleep and feel him against her, or the weight of his arm over her waist would trigger a different panic mode where all she could hear was Creed's lusty breaths in her ears as he held her down. And that quickly, she was out of the bed, her heart hammering in her ears.

She was a mess, and hadn't talked to a soul since the last time she was in Logan's room. To top it off, she had become jittery and she could not eat either.

Charles suspected much, if not all of this. He knew that  _Logan_ was acting in a similar manner, though not as severe. He wasn't sleeping either. But for him, when he closed his eyes he saw her in the tank, watched her screams and felt the agonizing pain that he knew all too well. The scents of the solution, hot metal, and antiseptic room flooded his senses. For  _him_ , it was all of that paired with the helpless, sinking feeling when Creed had pounded him mercilessly and nearly choked him to death making it impossible for him to protect her. The image burned into his mind of Creed stepping into her cell alone when she was too weak to even begin to fight back.

They were both sick over all of it, and that was where Charles hoped to heal them both.

He knew K had been avoiding Logan out of a misplaced sense of guilt, and he  _hoped_ that she would stop if she realized he felt very much the same - both of them had an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, after all.

* * *

K arrived at Charles' office right on time. She'd changed out of the jeans and baggy sweater she'd been wearing, opting for something more formal – a long black dress and a dark gray cardigan. He smiled, complementing her as she took a seat next to him.

Through their time together, her gaze rarely lifted higher than her teacup. But she had nothing to say. They simply sat in his study, sipping their tea. Charles was careful to stick to his promise of simply keeping in her company, though that didn't mean he couldn't  _look._

He observed that she'd lost weight since her return and her cheekbones were more prominent. Some of her natural beauty and her vibrance was almost completely faded. Her eyes looked sunken and darker, her cheeks were hollow, and her lips thin. Her hands and wrists looked thinner, bony. Her collarbone was much more pronounced.

Charles had to control his reaction as realization hit him. She had quit eating. Anger and pity rose up within him on seeing how far she'd slipped in such a short time. He hadn't dealt with a mutant that had simply given up in ages, and even then, that was more of a case of hopelessness, not this … quiet resignation. From what he'd been told by the teen girls she'd travelled with ... this simply wasn't her.

She'd pushed everyone away, and instead of running, she was just waiting to die. He looked at her cup and saw that she really hadn't drank more than half a cup in the half hour they'd sat together. He brushed her mind gently to try to determine if it was a conscious effort or if she just was uninterested in trying to do what was necessary. To his chagrin, he found nothing but a profound numbness in her mind. The corner of his mouth tightened as he weighed it out.  _Perhaps_ it was unintentional then. She could still be in shock, or perhaps at this point it would qualify more as PTSD.

She glanced at the clock, their tea time was nearly up. Before she could say anything though, Charles smiled at her warmly. "Thank you, K. I do hope you'll come back again tomorrow. Two O'Clock?" He asked with a gentle smile on his face, as always. Her gaze drifted to him slowly and she stared at him a moment then nodded in agreement, thanking him quietly as she rose and left the room.

Once she was gone, Charles let out a breath and set his jaw as he called for Logan, who was slow to respond. He entered his office without a word, looking meaner than he had in months. But three steps in the door, he stopped, closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath, a nearly agonized expression on his features. Clearly, he hadn't expected to catch K's scent there. When Logan opened his eyes, the pain there was fresh, but quickly replaced itself with anger. Charles didn't waste any time with him.

"Do you still care about her?" Charles blurted out, though Charles' gaze was steely as he approached.

Logan met his gaze, his jaw clenched. "What difference does it make? She doesn't want anything to do with me," he growled out, the hurt well hidden in his anger.

Charles smiled kindly as a small measure of relief washed over him. "You are so very  _wrong_ , my friend." Charles said, a plan already forming in his mind. "I know you said you didn't want to do it, but I need for you to show me what happened while you two were in captivity. I need to see  _all of it_ in order to help both of you," Charles said evenly but with a confidence and urgency that Logan couldn't misconstrue. As Charles had predicted though, Logan shook his head.

"Why don't you ask her? It happened to her, I was just a damn bystander," Logan replied through gritted teeth.

At that, Charles' mouth tightened into a grimace and he tipped his chin down. "She is too  _fragile_ for me to simply look without her total cooperation," he told Logan honestly.

"What the hell's that mean?" Logan asked, his concern momentarily overriding his own feelings.

"She isn't  _well_ , Logan. Her mind is numb, overpowered by guilt, trauma, and self blame," Charles informed him as Logan sat down, his face showing a spark of determination that had Charles smiling internally.  _That_ was the Logan he needed to make this work. "That's not all either. I do not believe she's eaten anything since your return from Montana," he finished as he sent Logan a mental picture of K from their tea time.

Logan's expression shifted to one that conveyed exactly how concerned he was. Her color was off … almost gray. "Come on, Charlie. She's not that bad, is she?" he asked, looking for a lie on the telepath's face. "She looks like she's killin' herself."

"I'm afraid that's precisely what she's doing, Logan. She was likely  _already_ working overtime to recover from what they did to her, and I needn't tell you how much fuel is required to keep a regenerative healing ability working properly when there's been an injury," Charles said as he watched him process what it meant.

He didn't have to wait long for Logan's cooperation. "Fine. Just … do it already," Logan said as he let out a breath and closed his eyes, resigned to the mental intrusion that was bound to follow. Shame washed over him as he anticipated Charles' reaction to all that Logan could only witness.

Charles took a moment before he began and tried to prepare for anything that might come from this session. It didn't take too long, and there were sections that Charles had to sift through to differentiate between Logan's memories of the events with K, and his own bonding process to boot.

When they were finished, Charles closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose as Logan tried to control the emotions he'd just relived, up to the last night they spent together. At least he could now fully understand why Logan was so hard to be around lately. He thought he'd found a potential mate ... but now she was doing everything humanly possible to avoid everyone.

"Thank you, Logan," Charles said genuinely. "I'm afraid I owe you an apology."

Logan looked up with a truly bewildered expression. Had it not been such a serious moment, Charles thought he very likely would have been amused at seeing such an expression on the stoic man. So before Logan could ask, Charles lifted his hand, palm out between them. "I know I've apologized before, when last we kept Creed here in an attempt to rehabilitate. And you tried to warn us then. On so many levels. And though I have apologized before, I feel as though I truly do need to reiterate that sentiment." He looked pained and Logan was clearly overwhelmed.

"We're having tea tomorrow at two. Please, make sure you see me an hour before."

Logan looked at him strangely. "Any reason, Charlie?" He asked, eyes narrowed, but that managed a smile from the professor.

"I'd like to see if she has the same reaction to your scent that you did when you walked through the door and picked up hers," Charles replied frankly. He could find no reason to try to cover his intentions from Logan when it came to the little feral woman.

Doubt was heavy in his voice as he started to ask "You think she- ?"

"Yes," Charles answered, not waiting to hear the rest, and needing to get his point across clearly.

* * *

 _Two o'clock, here we go. Time to tear off to band-aid,_ K thought as she let out a breath and knocked on the tall mahogany double doors. On hearing Charles' invitation to enter, she turned the knob and steeled herself to tell him she wasn't going to come to any more tea times or anything else. Today would be her last at the Institute. But two steps into his study and her hand flew to her chest as Logan's scent filled her senses.  _Oh, man,_  she thought as her heart ached suddenly.  _I miss him._

Charles tried hard to hide his smile as he caught her thoughts and the deep emotion attached to them. Slowly she made her way to him, reveling in the fading scent of the one she wanted but felt she couldn't have, convinced that she was too damaged for him.

Charles kept it light, though K couldn't sit still. He didn't push her, but he did try to talk to her about the goings on around the mansion. Concentration was incredibly hard for her.

She found herself nodding as Charles asked if she could show him what happened to her while in captivity. Blinking, she tried hard to remember  _why_ she'd agreed as Charles delightedly asked her to relax. That was a laugh itself. She didn't know  _how_  to relax anymore.

Fortunately, she was so worn down that getting into her mind without harming her was a far more simple endeavor than he'd let on with Logan. He asked her to guide him through the events.

Her perspective was a different world to Logan's. He saw Logan's face as he strangled Creed through the bars, then just fuzziness until she awoke during the bonding process – her memory there nearly identical to Logan's bonding – obscured by the green water an intense feeling of isolation and being alone. Helpless. That alone would have given her more than enough trauma to last her. But he also saw something Logan didn't.

The time in her cell with Creed after the bonding while Logan was in the lab, unconscious. The awful things Creed told her and did. The horrible promises of what he'd do to her later. The hissed promise when he was done that she'd be nothing to Logan now. And that wasn't even taking into account the fighting, the running and her perspective of them dragging Logan back to his cell, all of which was detrimental.

Charles was surprised to find that she managed to block out much of what Creed was doing to her at the time, too weak from the bonding to fight, and knowing she had no way to stop it.

But the rage that grew so quickly for her the second she had a chance to change the fight between Logan and Creed was almost breathtaking as was her quick action that got Logan free and Victor skewered.

It was only then when Logan pulled Creed's crushing weight from her that she realized the impact of the everything that had happened. It was hard to ignore though at that point with Victor's scent of death burned into her nose.

Something he hadn't considered was her viewpoint of Logan at that time and how she felt at a severe handicap at what Logan was thinking since she could only really see his eyes. The muzzle covered too much as he chose the path they'd leave on. She couldn't tell what he thought. Where his emotions were. Not to mention all the normal thoughts victims of the crimes Creed committed flooded and overwhelmed her.

She blamed herself for not stabbing Creed faster. She blamed herself for not fighting in the cell, ignoring the fact that she could hardly move her arm, let alone the fact that at the time, swinging it was tremendous work, unused to the new weight she suddenly carried.

Then, just before he broke the connection, he found she felt guilty for how she'd reacted to Logan's touch when they were alone. Guilt for how she'd hidden from him and avoided him. Guilt for her fear of being alone in the dark, because what dreams she had that  _weren't_ flashbacks were twisted versions of reality, where all of Creeds' promises had come to fruition. Guilt for the fact that she wanted to die.

Charles handed her a tissue, though it was clear she had no tears to cry after the connection broke. She had sorely needed this. To see she had people were there for her and cared about her, even if the connections were relatively new.

"Please don't leave the Institute. He misses you terribly," Charles said softly. Though it really just caused her to have a new wave of guilt crash down on her. "I can help you if you let me, K. And if you want to try, I know he will gladly take you back." She shook her head. The thought clearly hadn't crossed her mind at all.

"I don't think so. Why would he? I'm a freakin' train wreck," she said bitterly.

Charles' brow pulled together. "No man has the power to change a woman fundamentally simply by forcing himself on her. You are damaged, but  _not_ in the manner you think. You need to talk about this. To  _anyone_. Get it out. Share it. Though it doesn't seem like much, talking about it will help you to move on. Don't let this horrid experience define you," Charles said, authority and experience in his words. "Don't let it stop you from caring for the man that you want. The feeling is, after all, entirely mutual."

She weighed his words, and found some sense in them, and as Charles was aiming - a little hope. "Normally, there would be a joke about how handsome and powerful you are," K said in a flat tone surprised him and pulled a smirk from him

"Come in," Charles said clearly, confusing the little brunette more than she cared to admit. K looked towards the door in confusion, sure she didn't hear a knock.

Logan stepped in and quietly closed the door behind him. He didn't look like he was surprised by any of this, and he locked eyes with her as they watched each other as he approached.

Her lips parted and her heart ached for the sadness she found on his features. Sadness she caused.

"Don't do that," Charles said in a low whisper, interrupting her self depreciating mindset as he squeezed her hand. "Don't entertain those thoughts." He motioned for Logan to join them, and he silently made his way over to them. He pulled up a chair giving her some distance, showing her that he didn't want to give her reason to run from him.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she said quietly. He waited, nervous about which way she'd go. "Maybe, if you're not too overbooked, you might give me a chance to explain myself. I'll understand if you're through with me the mess I'm bringing."

His face relaxed, and he offered her his hand. "I'm not goin' anywhere, sweetheart." he told her as she hesitantly took it. He gave her a soft smile and kissed her palm. "I've been where you are.  _Mostly_. I won't give up on you." She smirked softly, relishing the contact suddenly. "I do have one condition though," he said seriously, and she looked up at him, nervous again on what he might want, though she shouldn't have concerned herself.

"Don't shut me out again," Logan said, looking almost pained that he had to request it. He relaxed quickly though when she readily agreed. And Charles was rewarded with seeing a little smile from her and feeling the relief washing off of her as Logan pulled her into a hug - clearly, missing him was so much worse than she thought it would have been. His scent enveloped her and brought her comfort.

Charles smiled to himself as he simply left the two of them alone. That was  _much_ easier than he'd thought it would be. And while she did finally agree to talk about it, she said she felt she needed a woman's perspective. Her choice was not one that either man could have guessed.


	13. One Step At A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K finds a path to move forward using Charles' advice and her own means of coping. The mansion gets assessed for a security upgrade.

 

* * *

K took a deep breath as she lifted her hand to knock on the door leading to the attic of the Xavier mansion. She had never spoken more than a few sentences with Storm, but she knew well enough that the woman was inspirational. And she thought she could work with her. To add to it, Ororo had been championing women's causes with the teen girls that stayed and learned at the Institute. She hoped that Ororo would be willing to help her too – or at least be a sympathetic ear as she spilled her guts.

The stunning dark skinned goddess answered the door with a smile that fell completely when her eyes rested on the tiny, gaunt woman before her. "K! You look ill! Please, come, sit!" Ororo exclaimed as she dragged her to a chair. "I know that I haven't seen you lately, not with all the decorating and preparations for the holidays, but … I don't... How did this happen? What's wrong?" she asked her. It was clear that Ororo felt a bit guilty for not having checked on her earlier, even it K was not someone that she should have  _needed_ to check on. She, like most of the staff had just assumed Logan had it covered. They didn't  _know_ that she'd shut him out too.

"I need - " K started to say, trying to phrase the words properly. "I'm told that I need a  _friend_ , and I don't want a telepath pushing ahead of me right now, unless I ask for it."

Storm tipped her head, completely understanding K's reasoning, as she urged her to continue.

"Charles told me I need to talk to someone, but I can't talk to him or Logan. A man wouldn't – couldn't – understand. And Jean … is out for the same reason as Charles." Storm closed her eyes with a sigh. She had hoped this wasn't going where she thought it was.

Although K didn't know it, when she was younger, Ororo had made the mistake of catching a ride with a stranger who nearly raped her. It was in her panic as she struggled against the man to get away that she managed to accidentally kill him. It scarred her mentally and made her very reluctant to take another life, but it also caused her to have a lifelong aversion to strangers.

Particularly men she didn't know well. She reached out and covered K's hand with hers, trying to reassure her, but not entirely sure how to go about it. "What happened?" she asked in a soothing tone, concern etched on her features. "Was it at the facility?"

K nodded once with a totally unreadable expression, her gaze on the ground as she swallowed and slowly began her story. It was a rough start ... and at first, she didn't understand all that she was saying ... but by the time she was done, Ororo was horrified, not only for K and the damage it had done to her, but also for Logan. She knew it must have been the worst kind of torture for him to be unable to help someone he cared for.

The two women talked for hours, sharing experiences and getting it all off of their chests. When it was over, both women were worn out, and amazingly, K felt a little better. She even decided to take Ororo's advice to ask Jean to put her into a dreamless sleep.

In truth, she didn't even know the redhead could do such a thing, though by the time Ororo finished telling her the details on how it was one of Jean's favorite tricks, she was well and truly convinced. When their time together came close to ending, Ororo noted that K looked a bit more nervous. She guessed at what had her concerned and she promised to keep the details of K's story to herself, though she also promised to check on her.

The smaller woman let out a sigh of relief. She didn't want the looks of pity that were bound to come when the group as a whole knew for a fact what had happened.

On seeing that the load on K's shoulders had started to lighten, Ororo scooted closer and gave her a tight hug. "You are welcome any time, day or night - and if it would help, my door is open if you don't want to be alone at night. I too, know how the shadows can hold too much evil."

K couldn't help but smile. Ororo's genuine kindness was a gift from the heavens, but she wasn't going to take her up on a slumber party just yet. Eventually, K bid her goodnight and slowly made her way to see Jean, slightly more anxious with each step.

It was still too early in the evening for many of the adults to be in bed and Jean was no exception. K could hear her laughter dancing up the stairs, so she followed it to find her joking with Scott and Rogue.

However, when Jean saw K, her laughter stopped and her entire demeanor shifted. "Why haven't you come to see me sooner?" Jean asked before K could get around to saying so much as a hello.

"That," K replied, gesturing with one hand. "Is why. You get ahead of me before I can say a word."

Scott was frowning at her explanation, but didn't argue it. No doubt that was his experience as well. Jean however, looked as though she was embarrassed by the point that K had made.

"I don't mean to," Jean defended softly, her expression shifting from outrage to sheepish regret. "And I didn't really look far … I just .. you're so  _thin._ " It seemed as though K had done a fairly exceptional job hiding herself away those past few weeks. Jean reacted almost exactly as Storm did at first, even if her reactions were a bit more obvious. She silently watched her as she slowly made her way into the kitchen. She was making a conscious effort to keep from peeking into her mind now that she realized she was doing it again.

K finally made it closer to the group, though she was leaning on the counters for balance. Scott and Rogue were staring at her when she finally came to a stop near by. They were both shocked at how much tinier the little woman looked from just a few weeks prior. Seeing the concern on all of them, K didn't waste her time. She cleared her throat to warn them she was going to speak, but she could barely get the words out as she explained herself to Jean.

"Of course I'll help you sleep, but my God – are you even healing?" Jean asked in a very motherly tone as K clutched her stomach when a wave of nausea hit her hard. K shrugged in response, unable to answer the question as she hadn't really been injured since their return, so in her mind, she had no way of really knowing.

Jean delicately picked up K's hand and after a quick inspection. "Did you paint your nails?" Jean asked, staring at the slightly silvery blue-gray color that seemed like a wash over them.

K wrinkled her brow and shook her head. She hadn't noticed any color, and she'd be the last person in the world to purposely paint her nails for her own entertainment. Though it set her to wondering what exactly  _that_ meant while she inspected the odd coloring herself.

Jean stepped forward and placed her hands on K's head as she tipped her face up to look the smaller woman in the eyes. She had dropped all pretense of politeness when she realized how bad off K really was. "When was the last time you ate anything?" Jean asked. The urgency in her voice was plain for K to hear though the redhead probably thought she'd hidden it well.

K didn't answer the question, though she did step out of Jean's grasp. It wasn't that she was being difficult – she just couldn't remember. It didn't trouble her too badly though seeing as she could hardly remember how she'd gotten to the kitchen.

Jean looked displeased with her lack of response and shifted quite quickly to more concerned. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to see Hank. I know you don't like it down there, but you can't heal if you don't eat," Jean told her in an authoritative tone, heat clear to hear in her voice.

"I haven't been hurt since we left that place," K defend. "How the hell am I supposed to know if I'm healing?" K's frustration and anxiety came quickly, a side effect of the PTSD, and  _she_ suspected, a product of people treating her as if she were a child due to her short and slight stature.

"It's the  _adamantium_ , K," Jean said, truly irritated now, though the little feral couldn't know it wasn't really directed at her. "You have around Eighty pounds of it you're carting around now. It's  _toxic_. You've broken down your healing factor by not taking care of yourself." She let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. "You've got heavy metal toxicity." She turned toward Scott to help her get K down to Hank when suddenly, K put her hands up towards him.

" _Don't you dare touch me,_ " K half growled out to Scott as Logan walked in.

Logan quickly assessed the scene then he turned toward Jean as he glanced between she and her husband. "What's going on, Jeannie?" Logan asked cautiously, not sure of how to approach the situation without knowing all that had just transpired.

With a heavy sigh, Jean rubbed her temples. "Her healing factor is shot. And she's got adamantium poisoning. All of it because she's not eating anything," Jean said quickly. "I was telling Scott to take her down to Hank  _for treatment_."

Logan looked to K, who at the moment looked torn between wanting to tear Scott a new one for what Jean thought was simply trying to help, and pure anxiety. Logan knew she didn't want to hurt Scott though. Not unless he tried to force her, which it was clear Scott wasn't prepared to do. Yet. But Logan knew that with all the things that had recently transpired, K was simply terrified at the promise of spending time in a lab. Even here, most of her lab time had been spent with her being restrained. He looked toward Jean knowing full well that she didn't  _fully_ grasp what the problem was. To them, their lab was nothing like the labs he and K had spent time in. And while she was right ... she was also very wrong.

"Wouldn't it be smarter to get Hank up here – OUT of the lab?" Logan asked as he looked at Jean meaningfully. For a split second she stared back at Logan like he was totally nuts, but when he projected to her his viewpoint of the tank she was in complete with her screaming, and his own experience, she paled, understood immediately and went to retrieve Henry herself.

Logan gently guided K over to the table to sit down, knowing full well when he looked at her that Jean was totally right. She  _needed_ to go to the lab. He didn't understand how well she'd been able to hide it in Charles' study. And how to get her to Henry's without triggering another trauma was not an easy task while her wounds were still fresh and vivid in her mind.

Scott handed her a mug of tea, trying to make amends, but it was clear the little feral was triggered simply at the threat of a lab. Logan watched carefully as K picked the mug up and cautiously sniffed it before she slowly raised it to her lips, only to abandon it quickly when her stomach clenched up on her. This ... this was not good.

Celia and Hank walked in a few minutes later without their lab coats on. Jean had wisely asked them to take all precautions to avoid upsetting her. They sat down near her at the table, and Hank gently took her hand in his. He examined her very much the same as Jean had done. His touch was feather light as he looked at her eyes and gave a quick general exam, though he came to the same conclusion  _after_ he asked a few additional questions before giving her his prognosis.

"There are two ways to approach this," Hank said gently, with his hand resting on hers. "You won't like either option though, I'm afraid. Option one is that Celia hands me the injection I have in my bag that will counteract the adamantium poisoning. If we do this, you must  _immediately_  start getting some food into your system," he said firmly as he weighed her reaction. K squirmed in her chair at the thought of a shot of any kind.

"Option two would be that you come down to the lab ..." she pulled her hand from his and clenched it into a fist as she drew it to her chest. He didn't try to take her hand back or pause in the slightest as he finished telling her what was to come. "... and we put you on a dialysis machine to remove the level of toxins in your blood. If we do this, we'll have to start a feeding tube to give you the nutrients your body so desperately needs."

She looked at him as if he'd suggested she light herself on fire.

"Of course, the second option is one we will be  _forced_ to pursue if your condition continues to deteriorate. The key will be discerning what the  _cause_  of the toxicity is," Celia added.

"You're kidding, right? You know what the cause is," K snapped, bitterness in her tone easy enough to hear.

Hank shook his head with a sigh. "Of course, she misspoke. The source is painfully clear. I'm sure Ms Reyes meant to say we need to be sure of the  _reason_  your system is failing." K blinked in confusion as she glanced between the two of them. "You haven't eaten properly in weeks, correct?" Hank asked, to which K reluctantly nodded.

"You didn't have much time since your skeleton was bonded, so we need to find out if the failure to return to your usual level of regeneration is from the procedure they forced on you failing at a molecular level or if it's from your high level of blatant self neglect." His kind tone now gone, K truly felt her self hatred scale go up a few notches as she struggled to keep her composure.

And in spite of the fact that Henry was trying to help her, Logan kind of wanted to punch him in the face for not being a little more tactful.

However, the good cop bad cop routine had exactly the effect Henry had hoped for.

K nodded minutely and whispered " _I'll take the shot._ " Logan put his arm around her shoulders as Celia prepared the proper dosage. K turned her head into his shoulder as Hank extended her arm. He asked her to make a fist, then wrapped his hand around it to push it back so she couldn't stab him with an accidental extraction of her claws while he administered the shot to her vein. The bleeding from the shot didn't stop immediately as it should have which had Hank frowning as he addressed it.

"I'm sorry, my dear, truly I am." Hank said sadly. "Get something in your system if you can. If you can't handle food, we'll have to resort to more aggressive measures. Otherwise, you'll need another shot tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll come to you."

He patted her shoulder as he stood, looking to Logan now. "Make sure she eats something, but start her light." Logan nodded and stroked her hair as she leaned on him, wiped out from the anxiety of the small medical intrusion.

Jean sat down across from her and waited for K to acknowledge her. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually that thoughtless. I should have considered everything before trying to send you to the lab, it was just … I was worried." She paused to redirect herself as Scott stood behind her. "And of course … of  _course_ I'd be more than happy to help you fall asleep tonight, tomorrow - and for as long as it takes for you to bounce back. In fact, if it makes life easier, I'm sure Scott won't mind if I kick him out for the night, and we can just watch movies in bed. Ororo would join us in a heartbeat."

K had to smirk. The sentiment was touching, but the look on Scott's face at the insinuation that she'd evict him for a slumberparty was priceless. "I don't think I could do that to your sweetheart," K told her. "But thank you. I'll probably be up in a little bit."

Jean gave her a soft smile as she got to her feet and Scott led her off with his arm around her shoulders. The two ferals watched them leave, quiet until the kitchen cleared out entirely.

"Trouble sleepin'?" Logan asked finally just before he tenderly kissed the top of her head.

"And the dark, alone," she quietly admitted. "For full disclosure. And I feel like an idiot being my age and afraid of the dark of all things." His arm slid a little lower and he pulled her closer, though he stopped short of pulling her onto his lap as he wanted to.

"You don't have to be alone, darlin',"he mumbled into her hair, but she shook her head in response.

He frowned at her and dipped his head down to look at her face. "Hey," he said, his finger under her chin before he tilted her head up. "You can talk to me too, you know." The want in his voice was clear. She bit her lip as she thought it over then finally decided to go ahead and try to open up to him too. She  _had_ felt better after talking to Storm and she hardly knew her. She knew Logan cared for her – or he'd at least said as much and certainly acted it well enough.

She opened her mouth, and shut it before she took a deep slow breath trying to find the right words. "I feel better with you but – God, I feel like a jackass." She sighed heavily. "I panic when I wake up with you in the dark. I don't know if it's the weight of your arm on me, or your breath on my neck … but I panic. I'm sorry. I can't stop that yet," she explained quickly, nearly wincing as she finished as if she expected him to blow up at her.

But instead, he let out a sigh and gave her a little kiss. The corner of his mouth tightened as he thought out what to say. "Why don't you give it another shot – whenever you're ready. I'd like you to try tonight, but seein' as Red already offered you a slumber party, and if you're unsure about bein' alone with me -"

"I want to hold you when I fall asleep," she said quickly, cutting him off, then she paused, frowning to herself as she held her hand up between them. "That is ...I don't want you to spoon me, like we did, I want to hold  _you_."

Logan looked stunned for a moment but agreed quickly. "Just … not quite yet," he said as he stood up and started to pull things from the cabinet and refrigerator. She turned in her seat to watch him as he worked, her chin in the palm of her hand. In a matter of minutes, he had started to cook up something that smelled positively mouthwatering. She watched him with interest the whole time, not wanting to interrupt whatever he was working toward. Finally he brought her a plate and set it down in front of her before he urged her to try it.

She looked at his creation doubtfully. She never was a fan of eggs, and no man that had ever cooked for her could even begin to do a fair job of it ... but she did have furry blue doctor's orders to follow, so she pushed forward. A tiny bite into it, she found herself smiling at him. She loved it. She couldn't eat much, but he seemed satisfied that she'd had anything at all. In short order, they headed upstairs and K stopped by to talk to Jean before going to her room to change.

"Are you sure you're ready to try that?" Jean had asked, with concern in her voice.

"I ...  _trust_ him," K replied. "But … if I can't make it through the night, then there's no reason for me to stay here." Jean took in a quick breath and started to shake her head. "I really had done alright on my own," K insisted before she wished Jean a good night and slipped down the hall before she could say anything.

* * *

K sat on her bed in her pajamas for nearly half an hour staring at her feet. Was she doing the right thing, trying so quickly? The raging doubt that had been ruling her brain backed down just a little when her inner voice nearly shouted  _What the hell are you waiting for?_

"Damn conscience," K muttered as she steeled herself and decided to give it her best shot. She stood up and wavered before she caught a hold of the bedpost and looked at herself in the mirror. She scoffed at her reflection. Sunken eyes, sallow complexion. "Quit stalling and get to it," she chided herself before she finally left her room.

She stopped in front of Logan's door and raised her hand to knock, then thought better of it and just let herself in. He  _had_ said to just come in. When she stepped inside, Logan was, as she'd usually found him, shirtless in boxers, waiting for her in bed with his blankets thrown back.

"How d'you want to do this?" he asked, sliding down a bit more as she approached him. But she didn't say a word in response. Instead, she just crawled over him to the other side. She left one leg draped across his as she settled in next to him. She used his shoulder as a pillow and rested her hand over his heart. His pulse sped up as she snuggled into him and she smiled earnestly when she heard it. When she lifted her head slightly to steal a peek at him, he looked entierly unapologetic.

"Can't help it, darlin'. You just have that effect," he said with a smirk as he covered her hand with his. He kissed her forehead then pulled the blanket up over them. With a little wiggle, she slid up and kissed him before she wished him a goodnight. He smiled and put his free arm up over his head as he waited for her to either fall asleep or panic.

K yawned, and readjusted herself slightly as she let his scent fill her senses. His rich musk mixed with the scent of pines and tobacco made her relax at his side. For the first time since the incident, she honestly felt safe and before she knew it, she was asleep.

Logan wasn't entirely shocked that she passed out so quickly. He knew she was exhausted, and he tried to relax more himself as he listened to her breathe, slow and even. She was so worn that she didn't move but for a twitch of her fingers every now and again which only reminded him of seeing that same twitch as she floated in the tank just before –

 _No,_ he thought to himself, forcing the thought from his head. He didn't need to worry about that right now. It was done. It wasn't something that could be changed, and besides- she was safe with him. Asleep in his bed where he could hold her and watch over her.

He took a deep breath and tried to keep the image of her in the tank out of his head. A tiny moan escaped her lips and drew his attention to her. "Easy, darlin'. I gotcha," he rumbled quietly before she immediately relaxed again. She absently ran her fingers over his chest before drifting off more solidly. He smirked as he watched her sleep halfway on top of him. It was pretty clear to him how much she trusted him. She had to or she wouldn't be there. In spite of all that had happened to her, she gave him her full confidence. And he knew it. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

He stayed up all night watching over her. He had to make sure she got the rest she so desperately needed. He was tired, but just having her there with him made him relax better too. He watched the sunrise, and enjoyed the feel of her against him, though he was finally starting to drift off himself when she finally began to wake up. He smirked sleepily as she stretched languidly next to him then slid up to kiss him good morning as he let his hands drift across her back.

"You didn't sleep at all last night did you?" she asked, her voice smoky with sleep as she propped herself up halfway over him.

He smirked and shook his head. "Wasn't that important to me," he replied, not ready to admit to her how much he enjoyed just holding her as she slept.

She sat up next to him and tried to show some restraint as she tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear. She took a deep breath and looked across the room to the clock on his dresser, noting that it was getting late. When she turned back to him, she caught him smiling serenely at her. "What?" she asked, totally oblivious.

But he tightened his mouth and shook his head. "You're something else in the morning sun. You just – glow," he said with one of his hands resting on her hip and the other entwined with hers. She frowned slightly, her nose scrunched up as she shook her head then decided to go ahead and follow her instincts. She met his gaze with a determined look on her face and grinned, but that just got him to smile wider.

In one smooth move she closed the distance to kiss him and as she ran her fingers through his hair. Shocked, he gently placed his hands on her hips as she deepened their kiss and pushed him into the pillows. When she finished he was ready for more.

"That's a nice little wake up call," he whispered as he slid his hand up the back of her shirt. She smiled genuinely at him.

"No kidding," she breathed out barely pulling back enough to focus on him properly. "Thank you. For watching over me last night. But, if this is going to work, then eventually, you'll need to sleep too," she told him with a smirk. "But … I'll need a little more time for much more than that, stud," she said, a smile in her voice for the first time since they'd returned.

"I know. I'm waitin, darlin'. No pressure. Just gotta say the word," he replied with a growl, as she leaned in for another kiss.

"I want to, really, I do – so, so much ... just give me a little more time and let me get a little stronger. I wear down too easy right now." He took the hint and backed off as she sat back on her heels, smiling down at him.

"Alright then," he said, pulling himself upright. "Guess we better work on gettin' some food in you." She had to laugh at that. Of course he'd look at it as a chance to build her up.

Once they were downstairs, he made them both breakfast as she worked on a cup of coffee, half pulled into a ball as she watched everyone around her. Halfway through their meal, Hank made one of his rare appearances outside of his lab.

"Good to see you eating something, my dear," Hank said, as he watched her over his half moon spectacles. "Your color is already improving."

"Nah, it's just the morning sun, right, Logan?" she teased, which made Logan swallow wrong though he was smirking as he coughed. Hank simply shook his head, ignoring their private joke, though he kind of wished he knew what it was to make Logan lose his tightly controlled composure.

Logan  _wanted_ to glare at her, but ended up laughing instead as he leaned over and kissed her "You're a tease, you know that?" he accused. She didn't argue it as she shrugged openly.

"To be expected from time to time," she countered, though her focus was drawn by some unexpected movement just outside the doors.

Her smile fell as she watched Scott, who was walking around outside with a dark haired, well dressed man. Scott looked a little more uptight than usual and the dark haired man was animatedly shaking or nodding his head and gesturing grandly with his hands. It looked as if he was in agreement with whatever Scott said, though he occasionally pointed at something and made his own commentary.

"What's Scott doing?" K asked suddenly, focused on the two men. She may not have been there for long, but it seemed a little bit of a stretch in her mind for there to be too many visitors to the grounds.

"He's finally takin' my advice. Been after him for years to upgrade the damn security around here. We got all this high-tech alien crap that works fine for everyday weirdos and alien invasions  _when it's on_ , but we tend to draw high caliber earthly weirdos that are into stealth tech. Or ... maybe it's just me that draws them in," Logan replied, watching them just as intently as she was as he sat down next to her with fresh coffee. "The jackass with him is Tony Stark. Have to admit, the man has a way with weaponry."

K watched them a moment, her chin resting in her hand. She narrowed her eyes when she caught Stark's eye and he smiled at her.

Logan saw her reaction and laughed. "You don't have to listen to me, sweetheart. Him and I have had a few disagreements," he informed her with a smirk.

But she shook her head minutely and rested her hand on his knee. "No, it's not that. I don't like his  _look_. He's got that ' _thinks he knows everything_ ' look to him.  _Smug_. Makes me want to hit him with a brick," she said easily as Logan took her hand and chuckled.

"Darlin', keep talking like that and I'm going to have to marry you," he teased before he kissed her palm and stood to leave.

She rolled her eyes at him and stared at her coffee, enjoying the warmth in her hands and the rich scent of it as Logan walked away from her to get to his early class.

Before too long, Scott and Stark came inside and a cold wind followed them, making her shiver as they stepped into the kitchen. Stark was watching K intently as Scott set out a cup of coffee for him.

"OK, I know everyone here. But ... I don't know her. I'd have remembered her," Stark said to Scott. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her, even as she finally looked up at him and met his gaze. "Introduce me, Cyclops," Stark said with a roguish smile as he put on his best charm for her.

Scott raised an eyebrow and frowned as Stark cut a path right to K and boldly took Logan's vacated seat. "If you insist," Scott said under his breath before raising his voice to a more normal speaking level. "Tony, this is K. She's with Logan." Scott said before he took a sip of coffee and gave K a little smile.

K glanced at him with a grateful look. She'd caught the tension between Logan and Scott easily, so Scott standing up for him was unexpected ... but still  _very_  appreciated.

Tonys' eyebrows flew up and his expression was one of disbelief. "Logan?  _Our_  Logan? No. No, that's just not possible. He doesn't even date does he?" Tony rattled off, K's brow wrinkled at the ridiculous assumption. Tony readjusted himself so his head was in his hand that he rested on the table as he leaned toward her. "What do you see in him anyhow? Is it the hair? It's the hair isn't it." She smiled a little in spite of herself and he grinned, his eyes locked on her as if he was the predator between the two of them. He scooted a little closer to her and his tone deepened as he poured on the charm.

"Not the hair. OK. Well, you must like the broody angry type then, right? No? Hmm. Gotta be the claws then, right? You like a guy packing hidden weapons."

That got her attention and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop the growl. With a little hitch in her breathing, her smile fell and she straightened up slightly as she pushed her mug away and turned to face him squarely. He straightened up, realizing a bit too late he'd put his foot in his mouth somehow.

She locked her gaze on him and for the first time since they'd returned, she unsheathed her claws in front of someone other than Logan. With a  _snikt,_  she held them inches from his face and let the bright sunlight reflect on the little flecks of blood clinging to them. Tony was stunned. He'd never truly looked at Logan's claws quite that closely before.

"Yeah, that's it," she replied in almost a purr as she leaned toward him a hair. "Must be that." She retracted them quickly and stared down Stark while his mouth hung open. When he still hadn't responded she reached over and popped his chin from below with her finger. "Might wanna close that, honey, you'll catch flies," she said sweetly just before she got up and made her way to the greenhouse.

Scott was grinning in spite of himself and took a moment to enjoy it before he watched her leave. When he knew she was gone, he started to chuckle at the shell shocked Avenger.

"Good God, man," Tony said breathlessly as he stared after her. "Smokin' hot wolverine girl? I thought there was already one of those running around."

"There is," Scott replied, nodding as he pushed off from the counter. "But this one isn't a clone, and as far as we know, she's not trying to kill anyone here. Of course ... the day is young. Not sure you quite made the impression you wanted to," Scott teased.

Tony goggled at him, shaking his head before Scott continued.

"You know, they hit it off right away. You should see him. He's actually been in a great mood since she showed up. Well – for  _him_ , anyhow."

Tony shook his head slowly. "Well, yeah. Who wouldn't be, waking up to a girl with razor sharp claws.  _Jesus_." The two men shared a look and laughed between themselves. "I have so much material to work with here. Just. Wow," Stark grinned as Scott shook his head then prompted Tony to get back to work and the two of them went to meet with Forge to get started on the security upgrades.

"She's actually a good part of the reason we need more security," Scott explained as they walked. "The breach we had resulted in her new shiny claws, among other things."

Stark lost all of his good cheer as he realized what Scott was telling him. "That's  _new_? The metal? They didn't do the whole ..." Tony abandoned the question as Scott nodded his head. "Ouch. That's … that's no good- I thought they were shut down." It was easy to see the wheels turning in his head.

"So did we, but if it wasn't for the fact that she was here with bone claws at the end of last month, got kidnapped and came back like that, I'd have argued it had to have been done years ago." The muscles in Scott's jaw flexed. It was clearly something he'd been bothered by more than he was letting on.

"Yeah, we can't let people like that go breaking in to snatch up kids," Tony agreed, then looked over both shoulders before spinning to walk backward and face Scott. "Speaking of ... how old is the little short and hot girl anyhow? She looks a little  _young_ for the old man." Stark looked insanely curious, but he only got a shrug from Scott as he grinned.

"Everyone alive is a little young for the old man," Scott countered, earning a laugh from Tony.

* * *

After breakfast, K had set to helping Storm in her greenhouse as a means to keep her mind busy. The women talked as they worked and the two of them quickly cleared out the dead and dying plants and repotted Ororo's favorites in the smaller heated section of the hot house.

Ororo had started quizzing K on some of the little details of her encounter with Sabretooth as both Jean and Charles had coached her to do. To Ororo's surprise, K answered all of her questions. She found it easier to do ... pretty much anything the more she let someone else know about what had happened. It was almost as if telling someone else lifted the weight off her shoulders a bit. Like she didn't have to carry the burden on her own if someone else knew.

They finished up their work and headed back to the kitchen together for a late lunch. When they got there, they both were shocked at the arguments taking place.

Most of the men of the mansion were there with Stark, and all of them were putting in their two cents as they finalized the plans for the new security system. Ororo and K washed their hands carefully with a shared look at the sink before Ro quickly made herself a salad and disappeared.

K however, chose to hang back and see what all the fuss was about. She opened a bottle of water and found an open spot to look at the plans between Forge and Charles. No one it seemed wanted to stand too close to the animated Native American when he was excited as he was.

As the men squabbled and pointed out flaws to each others logic, K took it all in, including all of them. She crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned in, reading the schematics. Forge bumped her accidentally, and in apology he put his arm around her with his hand resting on her shoulder to keep from hitting her again. She naturally leaned a little closer to him as he continued to talk.

Logan watched the scene carefully from across the table, his eyes locked on the two of them. She listened to them argue until she found what she was sure had to be there somewhere. A dead spot they had missed. She put her hand on the one Forge had resting on her shoulder and tapped it gently to get his attention.

"I know you boys probably have this all wrapped up with a bow, but I do have one little question," she started. The entire table fell silent at her soft, high voice cutting through the low timbre that dominated the room. "What do you have going on here?" she asked finally as she pointed out a spot near the back side of the mansion. All of them leaned in as if on cue and searched to see what she saw. Tony smirked and narrowed his eyes at her before honeying up his tone.

"That's covered by the laser sensors, sweetie," Tony replied before he waved his hand over the general area and dismissed her concern completely. She turned her head fully to glare at him.

"No it's not," she said firmly. " _This_  is a dead spot. Look at it closer. Just like the one on the opposite corner."

He chuckled at her insistence. "Are you kidding me?" Tony said, with a disbelieving expression. Just because he thought she was hot didn't mean she could make him look like an idiot in front of a client. "I don't think so, sweetheart. See, I worked out all of these triangulations  _myself_. And if I did the math on it, it's perfect. I'm  _never_ wrong on my math." Ego had superseded his flirting, and his tone held some fire as he rested his hands on the schematic and leaned over it. The table of men all had varied reactions from smug acceptance of Tony's assertion down to just apparently assuming that the little woman just had to be mistaken. Except for Logan. He had full faith in her.

K raised an eyebrow slightly his way then shrugged her shoulder up to her ear. "Well, you're wrong this time,  _sweetheart,_ " she said dryly as she took a sip of water.

Forge's hand slipped from her shoulder and he leaned forward to look at it closer. Tony opened his mouth to argue with her when Forge started to laugh. "She's right Tony. Look. The sensors are here, here, – and here. You didn't account for the line of trees over here. If you did, you'd have put another one in ... here," Forge said with a smile as he looked over at the genius. Tony looked ruffled as he glared first at her, then Forge, then swallowing his pride, finally looked at the schematics a bit closer.

There was a prolonged pause as he tried to see a way around it. "Well I'll be damned. Look at that," he said in a totally resigned tone as he looked over at her. What was more surprising was that she wasn't smirking or gloating in any way.

"Did you happen to find any other abnormalities?" Stark asked as her eyes met his and he came to stand next to her. She glanced over to Logan who smirked at her, enjoying the little laugh at Stark's expense, until of course, Stark got a little too close and rested his hand in the middle of her back. She looked up at Tony, who encouraged her again to take a look, this time with a much kinder expression before she began to look at it closely. It wasn't long before she'd found two more mistakes with some proposed defensive systems placement. She was no genius, but she did have an eye for spatial relations, and as it turned out, weaponry.

Tony was entranced. It wasn't every day you found a girl that could rattle off ballistics, bullet expansion and trajectory statistics like it's common knowledge. Without hearing the whole argument, she'd unknowingly taken Logan's position on nearly everything that he'd argued earlier, though she expanded the reasoning behind it very clearly with hard facts that Logan knew, but didn't have the patience to explain himself. She was old fashioned, and preferred what she called  _real_ weaponry over lasers and other 'gadgets' whenever possible.

When Stark asked her why she preferred a lead core over a copper bullet, for instance, she accurately drew out the difference in expansion sizes, noting that although the copper would hit like a mack truck, the expansion on the lead core tore a bigger hole and would make your attacker ' _bleed like a sonofabitch_ '. Logan laughed out loud at that one in spite of the fact that Stark was all but leaning over her shoulder.

But on seeing how friendly Tony was trying to get, Logan quickly decided to intervene and take her out for few hours before she got asked out by the billionaire savant. He nearly made it too.

They were right at the front door when Stark came up and took her hand to pull her to a stop. She turned and watched him with a questioning expression on her face.

"Hey, just gonna throw this out there, you know- just in case," Tony said with a very charming grin before he jerked his chin toward Logan. "Hey man, no disrespect," he muttered before turning his attention back to the little brunette. "But K, when you get  _tired_  of Mr. Angry-Hairy-Attitude, give me a call, alright? We can go over a few schematics … hit the range, blow some things up, and we might even talk about weapons too. I'll show you a good time, I swear."

For just a moment she had to stare at him before she gently pulled her hand back with a smile. "Charming," she said quietly, earning a crooked grin from Stark. "Though I appreciate the offer – that's ... just not gonna happen," K replied as Logan placed his hand on the small of her back, and guided her outside.

"You say that now, but my offer stands," Tony called out before the door closed. He frowned to himself, and took a moment to gather himself. It wasn't often that he was turned down for anything.


	14. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm not ... this is a fun one. Recovery can be hard. Or not.

To the shock of nearly everyone in the mansion, Jubilee had become one of K's best workout partners. Shortly after K and Logan had returned from their date the day Stark had been by, K had sought her out in the game room. She didn't look as gray as she did earlier as she sat down near Jubilee. "I hear you're a gymnast." K said to the little firecracker.

Jubilee was wary of that intro, but nodded all the same. "I used to be. Not to toot my own horn, but if my parents hadn't been murdered, I'd probably have gone to the Olympics," she said with a lazy sort of shrug, both pride and sadness in her voice.

"Well that's a hell of a lot better than what I was looking for. I need a coach – are you interested?" K asked to the surprise of not only Jubilee, but pretty much anyone within earshot.

"What about Logan?" she asked, wondering if it was a set up.

"He's great if I want to look like a bodybuilder, but I'd like to at least pretend that I can pull off feminine. You're the resident expert, so ..." K said, leaving it open.

"Well, yeah … sure. I mean, um, how do we do this?" she asked clearly taken off guard, but excited all the same to get a chance to help.

"You tell me – danger room, I'm guessing, unless there's equipment around here somewhere," K replied.

"Gym. Plenty of mats and beams in the gym," Jubilee decided, already starting to grin. "Um ...go get into something easier to move in and we can start now if you want – I'm done with my homework, and this game is getting boring." She was grinning as she handed her controller over to Paige.

"See you in a few then," K replied as she got up and headed off to change.

"We'll join you too," Chloe shouted, jumping to her feet and scrambling after with her sister. Zoe grinned at Jubilee, giving her two thumbs up and leaving Jubilee in a state of shock.

Jubes, of course, headed right to Logan, and jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck with a giggle. "Did you put her up to this?" she asked as he helped her slid onto the ground again.

"Set who up to what?"

"K. Did you  _tell her_ to ask me for gymnastics 'help'?"

He blinked and stared at her for a moment. "No … I told her you were a flippy little thing, but I didn't … why? What did she ask?"

Jubes narrowed her eyes as she looked him over and stuck one finger at him. "I am not sure that I believe you, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." She turned and ran off, grinning to herself wider than before.

* * *

The mansion was always gorgeous at this time of year. Jean and Ororo had gone out of their way decorating for the holidays, even if a large part of their student population wasn't going to be around to see it. It was probably a reflection on how tense they were over what all had happened, and when they weren't peeking at the schematics of the new security measures, they were cheerfully humming holiday songs and decorating.

The students that had nowhere to go stayed there, of course, and the two women gladly put them to work decorating. It helped to build that sense of 'family' that Xavier had worked so hard to cultivate, and the kids really enjoyed it.

Of course, Ororo tried to get K to join in the fun as well, but she wasn't surprised in the least when the little brunette politely turned her down. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the offer, but she had more pressing things to do than figure out the best locations to set up 'mistletoe ambushes' as Jean called them. "What you should do," K told her. "Is just put it on a clip and wear it on your hair. Then you don't need to ambush him."

"Is that what you're planning for Logan? A mistletoe barrette?" Jean teased.

"He'd probably appreciate a mistletoe belt buckle more," K replied, straight faced and Jean had to stop and just stare at her for a minute.

"You are  _so_ not allowed to help us decorate," Jean laughed finally. "But I'm glad to see you're feeling a little better."

"Slowly," K agreed before the two women simply finished their coffee. After nearly a week of eating more regularly, K was beginning to look and feel more like herself. The hollow appearance of her face began to reverse itself and her color improved quickly.

She began to act more like herself even though she still had a few moments of panic that would crop up on her randomly. It wasn't long after she started to pull herself together that she realized she felt –  _good_. The niggling doubt in her mind when she thought of everything Creed had done and said was slowly being put behind her as she allowed herself to listen to the people that were making themselves into her support system. It was over. She could relax.

As soon as she realized it, she allowed herself to do just that. She let all the tension she'd been holding on to just melt away. Now she just had to get over the irrational fears and try to get back to her version of normal.

She made her way down to the gym. Her movements had become more fluid every day as she built up more muscle to handle the extra weight she'd acquired. She was careful as she began to work out using lots of yoga and stretching to keep her slim form – not interested at all in looking like a bodybuilder. She paired her workouts with very little weight training – more focused on repetition over weight and of course, a lot of running.

Her speed and endurance were crap as far as she was concerned, though Scott was telling her she was being too hard on herself when she'd bring it up. He was a wonderful partner to run with, and she was surprised when he told her she wasn't slowing him down. Especially when he didn't smell like he was lying about it. Still. "It's slow for  _me_ ," she insisted, but that only got a smirk out of him.

"Give it time. It'll come back," Scott told her. "And until it does, you can keep running with me."

"Right," she replied, zipping away from him to get to work with Jubilee. She showed up in yoga pants and a tank top. Not exactly set for gymnastics, but it wasn't holding her back any.

Jubilee continued to be surprised at how easily K took direction from her.  _No one_  had ever asked for her help before, and here was this woman that didn't hesitate to ask a teenager for guidance. Maybe it was that on it's own, but Jubilee was really starting to like her. It was easy working with her – she picked it up fast and moves that would take most people months to learn K could build the muscle and flexibility for in days.

Chloe had started to try to learn too, since watching K made it look easy, but she quickly became discouraged when she didn't progress as fast. Jubilee and K both continued to encourage her to keep giving it a shot and before long, K was adding in her own moves to the workout regimen that Jubilee had started with her.

The one that none of the teenagers could get yet was her handstand pushups. Jubilee almost got it when they were against the wall, but when K started doing them in the middle of the room, well, no one else even tried.

Jubilee and K were on the balance beam together as K bent herself backwards in a slow motion backwards cartwheel when the construction crew walked past the open door. Stark was at the rear of the group and stopped dead in his tracks as he watched K transition smoothy from one move to the next to Jubilee's instruction.

When K noticed him, she glared and he hastily moved on. Not long after, she decided to call it a day, since, if the crew was working, she didn't exactly feel the need to deal with one nosy guy after another. She was walking toward the elevator as Logan approached from the Danger room. He was catching his breath and was positively covered in sweat. He looked her up and down before he gave her a low whistle. "You doin' alright, darlin'? I'd be happy to help if you want it," he teased with a little waggle of his eyebrows as he slipped his hand on her hip. She smirked and leaned into him, totally ignoring his wet shirt as she wrapped her arms around his neck for a kiss.

"Hmm. Maybe. I've been considering a routine you can help me with," she purred as his hands slid up her back. They made their way up the stairs to their rooms hand in hand. Both of them needed a shower badly before continuing on with the day. She automatically started to go to her room when Logan tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her with him toward his room instead.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh on her face. "I need a shower and so do you." But he pulled her into his room and shut the door behind him before he kissed her again.

"So go take one," he said as he swatted her on the backside then crossed the room to sit down and remove his boots. She hesitated, thinking it over before he broke into her thoughts. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't follow unless you ask me to," he teased.

She waited for a few moments before she finally shrugged and kicked off her shoes then headed to the bathroom to strip. When she was waiting for the water to heat up, she looked at her figure in the mirror. The change to her body was pronounced. Her muscles were sinewy, her form smooth and slick. The only thing that hadn't really changed was her chest, which she thought still seemed like it didn't quite fit her frame – not that she'd ever heard any complaints in that department.

She let her hair down and ran a brush through it quickly before she stepped into the shower. She wasted no time as she washed up quickly – well aware that Logan would need a moment to clean up too, and that he was patiently waiting for access to his own shower. She stopped mid thought and called for him.

He cautiously entered the bathroom a short moment later. "You need something, sweetheart?" he asked, expecting something simple, and not quite looking her way.

"Yeah. I could use some help to wash my back." she said with a sly smile as she peeked at him through the cracked open shower door. "You know. Save water. Shower with a friend?"

"Are you sure you wanna start that?" he asked, not confident that it was a good idea.

"You think I should see if there are any other takers first?" K countered. "Come on, the water's fine. And I'll let you know if there's a problem."

The truth was that she was impressed that he was still worried about her mental healing. Any other red blooded guy on the planet wouldn't have hesitated in his position. She smiled her heart racing as she stepped back under the water.

"You're running the show, darlin'," he told her, crossing his fingers that this wouldn't end with blood in the water.

* * *

They didn't leave the room for several hours. And when they did, both of them were much more relaxed, and then the only reason they'd left was because they  _needed_ to eat something.

When they got downstairs, Storm was having tea near the fireplace when she spotted the couple grabbing refueling. K's appetite had increased substantially as her healing accelerated and her workout regimen began. She'd almost gotten back to her 'before' look with just a bit more muscle added.

Ororo smiled watching them. It was good to see them helping each other heal. When they were finished, Logan gave her a kiss that Ororo was very sure lasted beyond what most of the residents would consider polite in public, but the Goddess simply smiled to herself and returned to her book.

The couple totally ignored whatever audience might see them, and Logan smirked to himself when she held on tighter and accused him of making her knees buckle before he released her from his grip and she disappeared down the hall.

Logan caught Ororo smiling at him over her tea so he decided to call her on it as he came and sat across from her. "What's up, Ro?" he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

She coyly looked back at him, her smile glowing. "She's been talking to me, you know," Ororo informed him as she re-wrapped her long fingers around her mug.

Logan nodded, knowing there wasn't any better response He  _did_ know, but he didn't know what she had to say. He only knew that it was about Creed, and that she felt she needed to talk to a woman, which meant the subject matter at hand had to be slim, and it was something he really didn't want to talk about.

"I like her. She has fire to her, but is still quite kind hearted, like someone else I know," Ororo said as she watched for his reaction. "I'm glad you are taking a chance with her, Logan. She's been good for you, and you for her, I think. But I do worry for you, my friend." She had straightened up more as her tone shifted. "You suffered in a different way when the two of you were gone. Are  _you_ alright?" She asked as he kicked his feet out in front of himself.

"Oh, you know me, Ro. I'll be fine," he said brusquely, brushing it off like he always did. She frowned, though she hadn't expected more from him than this. "She's agreed to let me work with her in the danger room again," he told her in a conversational tone.

Ororo smiled lightly as she accepted the change in subject. "Yes, she's looking forward to it. She's rebounded so quickly from all of this. I keep forgetting that she heals so easily," she observed as she thought of the first day K came to talk to her.

Ro knew, as did Charles, Jean, and the doctors, but neither Logan or K guessed how very close she had come to slipping away entirely from them all. Ororo had chosen to seek out and try to befriend the woman out of concern for Logan's well being. She didn't realize how much she'd come to enjoy her company as well, or how easily she would accept K's fast track relationship with Logan – particularly with her own history with the man. But the two little ferals seemed so natural together, as if there was very little effort for them to just –  _be_.

Ororo sat with him in silence for a bit longer with Logan lost in thought on what he was going to do with K. She needed training. She had some, but she needed to refine it. What she knew was plenty to stop most attacks and attackers ... but as he'd told K earlier – they had a tendency to draw nastier than your average bad guy.

* * *

Logan refused to start training her until just before New Year's. He wanted her to have her endurance back up to what it was before, which she did. But in the end, she had to concede that she'd simply lost some speed. No matter how hard she tried, she was still slower than before.

Their first session was easy enough. He took her to the gym and asked her to put him on the ground.

"You want me to  _pin_ you," K said, doubt lacing her voice.

Logan simply nodded and waved her forward. He'd had her change into a uniform beforehand, and they both squared off in the nearly abandoned gym. Jubilee was there to cheer on whoever needed it, as was Chloe, Zoe, and Paige. But K was a little uncomfortable with the audience.

"I want you to  _try_  to pin me," he clarified. He hoped that insulting her would rile her enough to get a good fight from her. She turned to him slowly, hand on her hip, and eyebrow up. "Don't feel bad if you  _can't_  though. I doubt you will."

K let out a little 'ah' as she tipped her head back. "So ... you think a cheap shot will goad me? Try again, hoser," she replied, shifting her weight to one hip as he circled her.

He smiled to himself, enjoying her picking, but neither was moving. She turned her head as she circled around her and watched him as she totally dropped her shoulders.

"What do you want me to do? Charge you?" K asked, honestly confused on how to attack her lover.

"Yeah. Might as well. You can't always be waiting to get attacked," he replied as he went into a crouch. She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. She didn't like this. Not one damn bit. She looked to Jubilee who was waving her to go ahead and hit him. He straightened up with a resigned sigh. She wasn't going to do this the way he wanted her to.

"I'm trying to  _help_ you. You gotta at least try it my way," he said reasonably as she grumped at him, her lips drawn tight.

"Fine," She shot back, her eyes narrowed. He barely got in a smirk before she knocked his legs out from under him and dropped him flat on his back. He recovered and snatched her feet out from under her before he launched himself on top of her and pinned her shoulders.

"Get up," he told her as he held her down. She stared up at him wide eyed. He'd taken her by surprise. But the game wasn't over yet.

"What if I like i down here?" she teased. He let out a growl in response and she blew her hair out of her face before she wiggled and tried to toss him. When that didn't work, she simply pinched the hell out of his inner thigh and bit his arm hard enough to draw blood. She got out from under him and reversed their position. She tried to hold him down at the wrists, but he was quick to show her how erroneous that was.

He smiled and pressed his advantage – her upper body strength was a joke next to his. She pushed on him as hard as she could but he still began to sit up with her using all she had to try to keep him down. He nearly reversed on her right then but she got up quickly and tried to decide how to approach him when he started giving her help.

"You'll never get an advantage on my upper body. Not like that. Try something else," he coached. She scrunched her face up trying to figure out his meaning. Before she could put anything into action though, he dove at her and pulled her down.

He pinned her again after he climbed over her and straddled her, this time with her wrists near her ears. She felt a sharp panic that showed on her face for a second before she started to thrash as she tried to sit up, throwing all technique out of the window as she simply had to  _escape_.

When he leaned over her, pressing down her torso even more soundly, she tried to fold herself in half to kick him in the head. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she planted both her feet next to her backside and pushed up from the legs and pelvis to try to toss him. It didn't throw him, but it was just enough to make him off balance and she shifted from under him. He still held her arms though.

"Good, now get loose," he told her in a pleased tone.

The teenagers were watching wide eyed. In any of their self defense classes, no one had gotten nearly this far with the volunteers, let alone Logan.

She made for the obvious, and tried to kick him in the balls, but he was waiting for it. He knew she'd do it if she had a clear shot. He blocked her and lunged forward with a growl before he pulled her hands behind her back and grasped them in one of his. He was right on top of her, panting in her ear and she had no hands to fight him with. His free hand went to her waist and held her close. He smiled at her and as she returned the smile, she laughed a little. The kids couldn't tell, but he could smell that she was very nervous and a little pissed off. She couldn't figure out how to get loose, so she decided she'd do what worked best for her. Deception.

She looked between them, almost demurely, then leaned forward, just waiting for the moment when he relaxed a bit. As soon as his shoulders showed the tiniest drop she pushed forward hard at him and wrapped her teeth around his windpipe. She didn't bite, she just let him know she could.

He froze and quickly let her hands go, raising his in surrender. As soon as she let him loose, he spun her around and pinned her arms to her side, holding her from behind tightly. She fought like hell as soon as his breath hit her neck in a pure panic.

"Didn't you just surrender?" she asked desperately, almost as a plea, frustrated that she couldn't get him. He avoided her thrashing carefully as she wriggled and stomped at his feet.

"Yeah, but you cheated. You wanna change the rules, I will too," he said growling in her ear. She froze.

He heard her heart skip a beat and her scent changed to one saturated with fear. She was going to lose it. He had to defuse the situation before he had a real problem on his hands. "Just relax. You know I won't hurt you. Just think. You're not stronger than me. Use your size to your advantage. There's always something you can try," he whispered to her as she tried to take a deep breath and calm herself while she thought it over. The fear scent started to fade away and Logan smiled to himself from over her shoulder. Crisis averted.

"OK," K said to herself. If she took out his knees, he'd likely fall on her and she'd be pinned. If she stomped his foot, there was no guarantee he'd let her go. "What are the parameters?" she asked quietly.

"No bloodshed," he replied just as quietly. She wiggled her arms, but his grip on her was unyielding. She tried moving both into him and away from him with no results. She tried to twist in his arms, nothing.

Finally she leaned her head forward, trying to lever her upper body away from him but she just shook her head as that didn't work either.

"Come on," he coached over her shoulder. "What haven't you tri-" she threw her head back, and smashed him in the face. His grip lightened considerably and she slipped out of his grasp. She took a few steps backward before she lunged at him and swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back and she climbed on him before he could start to sit up. She quickly wrapped her legs around his neck and locked her ankles together.

"I'm sorry – I broke the no bloodshed rule. Is this cheating?" she asked. He reached up and grabbed her thighs just above her knees and tried to pull them apart from his neck and head. Not only could he not budge her, but she started to put pressure on him in retaliation. She wasn't choking him yet, but she was holding on well enough to get her point across. He started to try to jockey his leg towards her head as she'd done to him before, but one of her free hands slid up next to his crotch as she raised an eyebrow at him pointedly.

.

"I give," Logan said, smiling though he was still bloodied, shocking the hell out of the teens watching as his grip on her knees lightened considerably though he left his hand where it was. "Really, darlin'. I give."

She unlocked her ankles and let him go, but she didn't climb off of him. He just laid back as she sat on his chest, looking up with a silly grin plastered on his face.

"This isn't going to turn into a very advanced sex ed class is it?" Paige asked, in her attempt to break up the pair. Before K could answer Logan beat her to it.

"I have a hard time prying myself from between her legs." He smirked up at K and she stared down at him, her mouth actually dropped open a hair. She couldn't believe he'd actually said that in front of those girls.

"I am  _so_ going to choke you out," K said, incredulous as she reasserted her hold. Logan just grinned.

"You go ahead and wrap your legs around my head anytime, sweetheart. Just make sure my cause of death is on the tombstone. Whatta way to go," he shot back.

She let out a noise of pure disbelief, blushing as she released him again and quickly got off him. He chuckled as he sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. The girls were loving this playful version of their serious teacher, even if K was completely taken off guard.

"You know," she said as he got to his feet and made his way over to her. "For a guy that just lost, you sure as hell act like you won."

But he just smiled wider and pulled her close, his hands at her hips. "We weren't sparrin' darlin'. That was a  _lesson_  and you did fine for your first one," he told her before he stole a kiss. "Lets see how you do next time when I'm not coachin' ya." He gave her a little swat and she finally slipped her arms around his neck for a real kiss. "Danger room tomorrow."


	15. Testing Systems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to test the girl, and time for Tony's revamped security system to hit the screws

K barely got half a cup of coffee before Logan took her mug, gave her a kiss and wished her luck before heading off to the booth. She took a deep breath and gathered her nerves before she slipped into the danger room for what appeared to be a second take on an evaluation, even if it wasn't officially being called that.

Logan was running the show this time since Scott was still feeling guilty on how the last evaluation ended with K nearly bleeding out.

K kept her cool as she looked around the bare room which was already shifting into something deeply green yet not quite calming to her. She looked up when she heard Logan's voice asking if she was ready to start. She was taken back when she realized it wasn't just Logan and Scott in the booth as she'd expected. Storm was there, as was Jubilee, a tall blonde man she hadn't met before and of all people, Tony Stark.

She just assumed that Stark was there for his own entertainment, and she hoped like hell she didn't end up busting her ass too early on. When she gave Logan and Scott the go ahead, Scott hit the mic. "Just go ahead and start walking. The scenery will shift around you," he told her. She hadn't taken ten steps before the forest shifted to a nighttime city street. She wasn't sure how to proceed, as she wasn't comfortable in a city to begin with.

Right off the bat, her senses were overloaded. The scents of hundreds of people hung in the hot night air. To her it smelled dirty, flooded with an overcompensation of dozens of perfumes and deodorants. She rubbed her nose as she tried to clear it while she walked on and the hum of the streetlights almost deafeningly loud to her. With no warning, a man dressed in black head to toe popped out from behind a dumpster and slammed her into a parked car.

Logan had told her to do what she needed, but Scott told her not to kill, so when the imaginary creep groped her, she popped her claws in his groin and dropped him to the ground. She glared towards the booth a moment.

"Really?" she said, both arms out in invitation to fight - clearly aimed at Logan. The booth was obscured by the hologram, but she knew he was smiling to himself at her reaction.

"Have it your way," Logan's voice echoed down before at least a dozen black clad mercenaries materialized out of nowhere. All of them cocked their guns and began firing on her before she could rush for cover. She swore under her breath as she dodged for a hiding spot. She took cover where it looked available and tried to circle around and away from them.

She stumbled as a bullet hit her leg, not realizing until just then that it was going to be  _that_ realistic. She leaned her head back on a car she was hiding behind when her programming from the Department simply took over. With a slow, deep inhale, she moved into action.

She took out the nearest mercenary holding him in a headlock as she stole his sidearm then shot him in the head. As his body fell, she liberated his assault rifle and slipped down an alley to circle around the building.

When she made it around the opposite side, she started picking off the others as they came into view. Eventually, they changed position and they pinned her down under heavy fire, but K waited until she heard one changing magazines to run out towards them. She took several body shots as she cleared the street then Logan turned up the heat on her.

The streets was suddenly flooded with targets. The mercenaries were replaced with a crowd of MRD officers and supporters, and she didn't hesitate to empty out her magazines on both before she switched her grip on the handgun and began to pistol whip those that tried to subdue her.

She started hand to hand combat with them when she lost the pistol and held her own for an impressive length of time using what martial arts she knew before the mob simply overtook her.

As they swarmed her, Logan killed the program before one of them could run her through with a blade to the heart. He cleared the scene to a forest in an obvious attempt to make her more comfortable. As she started to sit up, the birds in the program fell silent as if she was actually in a real forest. But instead of relaxing her, she was wary as she stood up slowly.

In the booth, Stark had leaned over Logan's shoulder and thrown in his two cents. "Come on, man. Quit screwing around. Give her something nasty," Stark said as he picked out an attacker for K.

"Tony, that's just wrong," Scott said with a shake of his head as he pulled Stark back and watched K assess what appeared to be Wolverine thirty yards away from her.

"You sonofabitch," Logan snarled at him and reached for the control to kill it, but Scott blocked him.

"Wait. You should probably see how she can handle Daken. That's a fair test," Scott said, getting a growl from Logan as he grudgingly had to agree.

In the Danger Room, K barely saw Daken as he launched himself at her. He was snarling, his claws were out and he was set to kill. Shocked and not sure what she was looking at, she ducked, not wanting to fight him at all until she realized that this ... person wasn't Logan. He was taller, his build was more slim, he had less hair, and he had tattoos on his arm. The claws didn't seem to be right either. And not just because of the lack of metal.

He slashed at her as she moved backward, trying to assess him before she reacted. His claws just caught her uniform front and sliced it open across her stomach, barely grazing the skin beneath it. She just kept dodging as he advanced until she backed into a tree. With a roar, he rushed at her, ready to smash her into the tree bark but she ducked down and rolled away from him. Not five yards separated them as they both rushed at each other. Both had their claws out. Both were snarling like rabid wolves.

They hit in mid air, all claws and blood. Daken quickly got the upper hand on her. He slammed her to the ground by her head, his free hand swung down toward her neck. But he didn't see it when she stuck him hard just below the ribcage.

The false Wolverine froze, his weight falling forward onto her, pinning her as she snarled in his face. Stark didn't think it looked to be that bad of a hit until the angle of her claws became apparent on the replay. She'd managed to get them nearly straight up under the breast bone of his ribcage then twisted as far as her wrist would allow. Had it been a real person, she'd have cut their heart out within their chest.

When the simulation vanished, she stood up, blood dripping from her nose and ears, and wobbling still from the last few hits Daken had landed.

"Sorry. That was my idea. You did well though," Stark admitted to her over the intercom.

"You are begging for her to kick your ass," Scott said to him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I wouldn't mind going a round or two with her," he replied with a lewd grin as he elbowed Logan, who began to growl.

"You'll be lucky if I let you walk outta here, Stark," Logan ground out.

Tony looked at Logan as if he'd insulted him instead of the other way around. "I didn't know we were playing softball here. I thought you wanted to push her. See what she could do," Stark said, a little indignant.

Logan turned to him, ready to tear him up when K interrupted from the room.

"Are we done, or are you going to give me something to fight down here?" she asked. She sounded pissed off as she caught her breath. The men in the booth all stopped and turned towards her.

"What do you want, darlin' – I'm not sure how far to push you," Logan answered, his brow furrowed. He hadn't planned on going anywhere near this far if he was going to be honest about it.

She tipped her gaze to the floor a moment and as she raised her head to look at the booth Jean's mouth dropped and she whispered out a nearly silent  _oh no_. "Jean, did you ever finish that simulation for me?" K asked.

The booth was dead silent. No one moved a muscle for almost a long moment.

"What's she talking about?" Stark asked, turning towards Jean. Logan looked sick. Jean blinked rapidly a few times and looked at the back of Logan's head uncertainly.

"Yes I did ... but I don't think you need to do that one, K. We got all we needed I think," Jean answered, her voice a little shaky. "I was planning on deleting it, all things considered."

But at that, K's gaze whipped up towards the redhead in the booth. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I'm fine. All healed up. See?" she said, turning around with her arms out. "If you're done with the evaluation, then clear the booth and Scott can run it for me." She was fully confident that someone up there would back her up.

Logan stood up and left without a word, Jubilee in his wake as she tried to stop him from interrupting her session.

"I don't think that's a good idea, K," Scott said, hoping he could diffuse the situation and dissuade her. A moment later the door to K's left opened with Logan on the other side, still looking sick.

"Come on, let's go. You're done here," he said, not trying to give her an option.

She shook her head as she turned to look at him. "I haven't been in here an hour yet. You said this would be a long session," she countered. But he shook his head and walked in towards her to grabbed her arm and pull her with him.

She planted her feet and pulled back, but when he turned to look at her, she realized maybe a little too late that he was upset. He dropped her arm as she walked towards him. "I need to do this," she said very quietly. His eyes met hers, and she saw perhaps a little too clearly how much he didn't want that to happen.

"No, you don't," he said, desperate for her to understand that he absolutely couldn't stand by to watch helplessly as that nightmare tried to replay itself.

They stared at each other a moment and she dipped her head as she gave in. She didn't fully grasp his position, but she didn't want to upset him any further than she already had. But he waited, watching her watched her for a real answer. Finally, she leaned forward and kissed him very tenderly before she nodded her head and whispered out  _OK_. He let out a breath and offered her his hand. She didn't hesitate to take it before they disappeared from the room.

"What was that all about?" Stark asked as he looked around the control booth. All of the X-men present looked a little guilty for having eavesdropped, albeit accidentally, on their stoic teammate. "What's the simulation she wants?" Tony asked to the silent room when no one answered his first question.

"Sabretooth," Scott replied finally, no desire to expand on his answer.

Stark waited a moment before he couldn't hold his tongue any more. "Sabretooth what- to the first or the second question? What did I miss?" he was impatient to hear more.

"Both," Scott answered with a tone of finality. They cleared the room one by one until only Storm remained. Once they were gone, she locked the doors to both the booth and the room below before she searched the computer for the simulation K had asked for. She was more curious than she cared to share with the others as she read through the parameters of the program.

It was a pretty bone chilling read, and she understood exactly why Logan wouldn't want to watch her spar with the monster, especially considering how things had ended for her the last time she'd taken him on alone not two months before.

However, she also understood why K felt she needed to run the program after having spent many hours with the woman. She returned to the main screen before she left and started to put a lot of thought into weighing out who was right – K or Logan.

One thing she had learned from the exercises run that day was that K would sacrifice what she thought was essential to her healing process to avoid hurting Logan. Ororo smiled to herself as she realized that the newest of their ranks had so obviously fallen for him. So when she left the control booth, she made a beeline for Jean and pulled her aside so she could discuss the matter with her privately.

"I don't know why you bothered looking at that awful program. We've never had anything like that in a simulation before. I'm deleting it," Jean told her, still a little shaken from how things had ended with K's simulations.

"I can't allow you to do that, my friend," Ororo told her. "There is more to this than what you originally meant it to be. She has been  _training_. She has more to learn, we all do, but she  _will need_ to run that program sooner or later. She will need to  _know_ that she can stop the monster if she has to."

"But she already did, Storm. She lobotomized him. There's no need for it," Jean argued. "Besides, Logan plans on deleting it himself the first chance he gets if I don't."

Ororo frowned. "I should  _not_ have to tell you how everyone's mind needs to process things in their own time. This is one of those instances. Mark my words, she will need that program, if nothing else, for her own sanity," Ororo argued.

Jean bit her lip. She knew the Goddess was right. She crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to feign thinking it over.

"You never were good at acting, Mrs Summers," Ororo teased after watching Jean's attempt to weigh it out.

She gave her a look of open mouthed shock. "Alright, alright," Jean replied quietly. "Ididn't realize I was going to be under the scrutiny of our stand in Drama Teacher." Ororo smiled at her as Jean couldn't help but follow suit. "I tell you what, I'll rename the program. That way I can tell him that the file isn't there anymore. But I'm not comfortable with this, Ro. If she ever runs this, I want to be there. I want to see how she does. If she backtracks on her progress, I  _will_ wipe it from her mind and make sure she never wants to attempt it again."

"Yes, I'm sure Logan will prefer  _that_ method of handling matters," Ororo replied airily, answered by her frustrated best friend as she whipped a pillow at her.

"There are only so many options, Ororo," Jean pointed out. "And those two are doing so  _well_ together, I do  _not_ want her to backtrack on him."

"So it's for him then?" Ororo asked, and Jean was forced to simply shut her mouth and sit back in her chair.

"Not…. entirely. I like her. She's fun. Wild. And I think exactly what he's been looking for all these years. I don't want  _Victor Creed_ getting into her head any worse than he has." She pointed a finger at Ororo. "I've been in Creed's head. I know what's in there. And that man has no business walking among civilized people."

"Then perhaps we could open the possibility of you joining her when interaction with Creed is a possibility. We all know he's afraid of you."

Jean couldn't help but smirk. "Then he's one of the few."

* * *

"So, the systems are all in place, and all the preliminary tests are finished. All we need now is a live threat to test it for real," Stark said, sitting back in his chair, as he looked at Forge, Scott and the blonde that had been in the booth for K's evaluation. "So, who's going to be our test dummy?"

"I got it," Logan said with a rumble as he walked up to the table. He'd clearly startled the group of men seated. He'd been quiet since K's test had ended earlier and though he'd left her to clean up and change, he felt inexplicably guilty about making her stop working.

K had quit the simulations and gone with him willingly, but once they were alone, she was quieter than usual and hadn't flirted or picked on him yet. That alone was enough to make him a little more sure of his decision to delete the program. But after he'd walked away from her room, he wasn't sure about that decision. She'd seemed so determined to run it. Not like she had anything to prove to anyone, but something she had to do for herself. He just couldn't bring himself to see her in that situation again.

The only thing he knew for sure was that he needed a fight. A little pain would clear his head.

"We're using live rounds, Logan. You sure you want to do that?" Forge asked.

Logan glared at him in response. "Make sure all the kids are in and away from the windows. How soon can it be ready?"

"Give us an hour," Scott told him.

Logan nodded and stood to leave. "Gimmie a few minutes to change, I'll check in on the comms when I get outside of the property."

Tony himself agreed to do the flying portion. His armor was resistant to pretty much everything and what it wasn't, he had his own defensive armory to handle it and he was confident he'd be safe enough.

The few students that were outside in the snow had begun to trickle back into the school and were all gathered and accounted for in the game room fifteen minutes before the test was set to start. The teachers and staff were keeping watch on them as they entertained themselves.

So as K hit the bottom of the stairs, freshly showered and squeaky clean, she overheard Scott tell someone over a com link that they had five minutes before the test started up. Stark was headed to the door nearest the kitchen when he spotted her watching them with a confused look on her face.

"Hey. You want to see the show? We're gonna test the system," Tony told her with a grin before he stepped outside.

She scrunched her nose up at him but couldn't help but smile. "Who's  _'we'_?" she asked as she leaned over the counter, her chin in her hand.

"Oh, didn't he tell you? Your grumpy boyfriend and I are going to put it through the paces," Tony replied with a friendly smile for her. "Why don't you give me a little kiss for good luck?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

She laughed outright, sure he'd lost his mind. "I can see him testing it, but what are you doing? Really," she asked with an amused grin.

And that was enough to make it clear to Tony that she had no idea who he was in the world of famous high powered business or superheroes. "You don't know my superpower then," he said as he looked at her sideways, his tone a bit insulted, though he was still smiling crookedly and reeked of trouble.

"Is it being a self absorbed pain in the ass, because honestly, you seem to have the corner market," she replied sweetly before tipping her bottle of water up.

He let out a little groan and rested his hand on the center of his chest as though mortally wounded. "I get it. That's fine. Just remember if I get blown up, I'm going to die knowing that the last pretty girl I talked to  _didn't even know who I was_. You've got to admit - that's kinda harsh," he laid it on thick and his expression was one that was hard even for K to ignore.

"Tony, leave her alone. She's not interested," the blonde told him, though he didn't even look up from the screen in front of him.

K inclined her head toward the blonde. "You should listen to him. He's got some sense," K told Tony seriously as she rounded the counter to see what the men had up on their monitor.

"Mind your own business, Rogers. K - Come on, one little one … right there. Please?" he mumbled quietly, hamming it up as he leaned towards her and tapped his cheek.

She rolled her eyes, cracked a smile and against her better judgment made her way over to give him a peck on the cheek. But naturally, he turned his head at the last moment, stealing a quick kiss instead. K let out a noise of disbelief as the smart assed billionaire grinned broadly.

"Now you can die. Congratulations," K said sweetly, with one hand on her hip as he stepped outside.

He stretched his arms out in a Christ-like pose with a saucy grin – his gaze locked on her. She really did think he was completely insane until his armor started to attach itself to him. She had to laugh outright, shaking her head slowly.  _Now_ she knew who he was. "Wow," she said, smiling in spite of herself.

It really wasn't her fault that she wasn't up on that kind of thing. She'd been hiding in the wild for long enough that the few newspapers with the Avengers on the front page in passing weren't something that had her attention.

Just before he jetted up into the sky he made a point to pop onto the com link, which all in the room could hear through the computers set up to monitor. "Logan, thought I should be the one to tell you. This is going to come as a blow. But I'm not sorry. She kissed me. She did tell me to go die, but doesn't matter. You owe me twenty bucks. Pay up, sucker," Stark announced, shooting off to a point just beyond the grounds.

K's mouth dropped. She had no idea they'd bet on something like that. And she'd lost it for Logan. It should have been a sure thing.

"Scooter, do me a favor and blast Stark outta the air," Logan growled in return. The exchange got a good laugh from Scott and kicked off some serious smack talk from Tony.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rogers said to the little brunette, as he finally took a moment to look at her, one eyebrow raised and a crooked sort of smirk firmly in place.

She shook her head as she took a seat near him. "No kidding. I thought … well I didn't think they'd  _bet_ on me and honestly, I was hoping he'd just shut up," K told him as he smiled back at her.

"You have no idea what you just did," Steve said with his arms crossed.

Before the test started, Charles did a thorough scan of the area to double check that everyone was accounted for before they began. Scott gave the all clear and in a matter of seconds, all hell broke loose outside. Small explosions were peppering the air around Stark as he shot down the anti-air defenses when they approached him.

Logan of course, had a tougher run. He faced lasers, heavy guns and various booby traps that were set up around the perimeter, not to mention some of the other more creative options that Stark had suggested and the bizarre land mines that meant to capture an attacker, not blow them up, that Forge had created and set out at random.

They were harmless when the system was off or on it's normal mode, but any trigger of the perimeter defenses or an alarm armed them automatically. Forge was the only one that knew where they were, so while Logan knew exactly where the guns, lasers, and traps were – the mines were a surprise for him.

Ten minutes in, and the only firing that had occurred was in the air. Logan had clearly gone into super sneaky mode, and K would have thought he'd left all together had it not been for the smack talk going on between him and Stark the entire time.

They didn't know if it was skill or luck, but either way, Logan had seemed to have found a way to detect the mines. He'd already come within 100 yards of the school before he finally got a bit too close to one. He found himself pretty well snared, but being himself, he cut out of it, which triggered the guns in the hidden turrets on the building. It shot him several times before Scott declared it successful and turned the whole thing off. Stark landed next to Logan as he stood up and stretched while the bullets pushed themselves from his wounds.

K walked out to see how he was, a concerned look on her face as she watched him wipe the blood off his face. She went right up to him but he grabbed her wrists as she reached for his face.

"Really? You kissed  _him_?" Logan growled out with a hard glare.

Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. She didn't expect for him to get so ... insulted. "Well, yeah," she started slowly in her own defense while she clearly tried very hard to look as guilty as possible. "I mean, I went for a peck on the cheek. He was the one that pulled a Harpo on me and turned. And - I really only did it so he could  _die_ , and he didn't even do that right. I feel cheated, really." She tried not to smile at him as he raised an eyebrow at her explanation.

"You didn't kiss me. Seems like I'm the one that's been cheated," he told her, doing his best grump as he leaned in closer.

She let out a sigh of longsuffering. "At the time, I was only giving away ' _please go die'_  kisses, so, really you should be happy I didn't kiss you," K replied.

His glare softened and his eyes twinkled as the smirk made its appearance. "Please go die kisses? Is that a thing?"

K nodded. "For pushy weirdos with horrible goatees," she insisted, which got a loud scoff and a  _look_ from Tony.

"Well, what about now? Still givin' out the 'please die' ones or can I convince you to give me somethin' else?" Logan asked as he closed the gap, still holding her wrists.

She smirked at him. "Well,  _now_... I've got plans. I just met this tall, blonde handsome fella. Maybe I can pencil you in for something later?" she teased.

He released her wrists just long enough to pull her to him the rest of the way with one hand at the small of her back and the other gripping the back of her neck to kiss her right. K's hands rested on his shoulders, both of them blatantly ignoring everyone around them. From Stark's point of view, it looked a lot like he was re-marking his territory.

"You sure you got plans?" he asked with a growl when the kiss broke.

She made a point to act like she'd think about it before he pinched her, making her press into him. Before she could answer him though, Stark cut in.

"Alright, you two can  _stop_. I got it. Keep away from her. But if you two are going to continue, you really need to get a room. Some of us can't be spanking pretty girls all day," Tony said in hopes to get a rise out of one of them.

But K looked over Logan's shoulder as he started to release her. "You're absolutely right, Tony. We shouldn't do this out here." She turned her attention back to the bloodied feral that was holding her. "Come on, Logan, you can spank me upstairs," K said as Logan smirked and Stark spun around quickly while he mumbled something about the order of things in the world being terribly terribly wrong.


	16. Training Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K finally starts training with Logan!

"You can't put her on a team, Scott," Jean told him in no uncertain terms. He didn't answer her, but kept reviewing the footage. "I'm serious. Someone will get killed." Scott seemed to ignore her as he kept replaying the same spot over and over. It wasn't even anything that looked that interesting.

K was leaning on a car, her head was tipped back and her face skyward while gunfire sounded off rapidly. She'd closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, it was like a different person down there.

"I'm just trying to see …" Scott muttered, drifting off, entirely wrapped up in his search. "She agreed when she went into the Danger Room that she wouldn't kill unless necessary. Yet," he gestured at the screen without further explanation as the playback showed K - stony faced as she plugged round after round into the robot's heads without any hesitation or attempt to incapacitate them.

"Something's wrong here," he told her as he reset the clip for what felt like the hundredth time.

She sighed heavily, the sound one of someone who had been through this dozens of times before as she slid closer to him again. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she again watched the new woman on screen. She'd quit watching it long before he'd reached this point, but decided to humor her husband and watch it one. Last. Time.

When Scott knew she was paying attention, he zoomed in on K's face as she leaned her head back. And this time when K opened her eyes on the playback, Jean finally saw it.

She straightened up abruptly and Scott's hand slid down her back as she did. "There. I see it now," Jean said as she paused the review. "We may be able to fix that. It's the programming, Scott. Brainwashing … subliminal suggestions ... who knows what else until I can get in and look. But it's clear that whatever they did, they did it so she'd kill. I may be able to tweak that," she said thoughtfully as she started to ponder how to approach Logan's little lover. "Logan worked through this same kind of thing when he came here, and I don't think she realizes what's happening. She may not even know she's doing this."

"That's because Logan's training was his real life experiences and took him decades. Hers was probably just jammed into her brain like she was a computer," Scott reasoned out. "Isn't that what you said when you and Charles had a look?" She nodded her head in agreement. Scott leaned back and sighed before he raised his arms over his head and stretched.

"She'll want to think about it," Jean said thoughtfully. "But I think I'll let Logan bring it up. We'll have better luck that way."

"She could be one hell of an asset, if we can help her out," Scott said offhandedly.

Jean smiled as she turned to her husband. "You think she's cute, don't you?" she said as she teased him.

He shrugged a bit and smirked. With a little laugh, he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head at the ground a moment. "Does me no good to lie, does it?" he said with a grin as Jean started to laugh.

"No. Not to me anyhow," she told him before she slipped onto his lap and kissed him.

He almost stopped her then thought better of it, instead following her lead as she telekinetically locked the door of the war room.

* * *

Ororo found K in the barn. She'd taken it on herself to care for the animals since she'd started to get her strength back. When she walked up on her, the miniscule woman had a large coppery mare in the cross ties and was brushing out her mane.

"The horses seem to like you," Ro said conversationally as she slipped into the barn. She made sure to close out the cold wind behind her. K smiled at her weakly in greeting. The barn had become where she would hide when she needed time to herself when she was down.

"Some of them really needed brushing out," K said. "Might as well do what I can for them." She paused and turned Ororo's way as she made her way around the opposite side of the animal, working on the mare's shaggy coat. "Do you think I'd get in trouble if I took one out for a ride?"

"You don't need to ask, K. Only the students need supervision," Ororo told her as she wondered why she'd bother asking for something so small, picking up a brush to help.

K made an effort to focus on the mane she was nearly done removing tangles from. The two women worked on the mare in silence for a while, and when K had finished brushing and braiding her tail, she began to walk the horse to a stall. When the horse was safe inside and the latch clicked shut, Ororo tried to change the subject.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday, in your evaluation," Ororo said as she watched K for a reaction that didn't come as she pulled out the roan gelding and tied him. "They didn't want to let you do your program. So I looked at it."

K froze a second and glanced at the Goddess. "You think I'm stupid for wanting to run it too, don't you," K asked as she went back to her self appointed work.

"On the contrary, I think it's a wise choice. I'd like to help you with it," Ororo told her. She surprised K enough for her to stop what she was doing and turn to face her.

"I thought Logan deleted it," K said as she looked at Ororo in disbelief, but the Goddess shook her head slowly.

"He thinks Jean deleted it. But she simply renamed it until such a time that  _you_  are ready to delete it. I told her I thought you may need it for your own peace of mind," Ororo explained as K's eyebrows rose.

"But ... you know how he feels about this. He  _really_  doesn't want me to run it," K said quietly, still not believing her ears that one of Logan's closer friends was willing to go behind his back on this.

"I know it was torture for him to be forced to watch while he could do nothing to aide you. I do not believe that he has changed his mind on you learning to defend yourself from someone so much larger and aggressive than you," Ororo reasoned. "And I do not think that he can handle watching you in danger without tearing himself apart to be at your side to defend you. He can't help with your training in that capacity for now. But I can."

"Have you talked to him about this?" K asked as the job of brushing out the horse was quickly forgotten.

Ororo shook her head slowly 'no'. "It is something I believe we may need to do without his knowledge or consent, which I do not think he will easily give in this instance," she said as she watched K for her reaction. "I would like to start immediately."

K fell silent and slowly went back to brushing the horse. "I can't make myself lie to him, Ororo. I just can't do that," K told her seriously.

Ororo was not expecting that at all though. "Then for as unreasonable as he's being, let me speak with him," Ororo offered. "If that doesn't work, we'll figure out what to do next."

K's nose crinkled up and she shook her head lightly. "I don't want him to think that I'm afraid to talk to him … and I don't want him thinking I'm trying to manipulate," she said with a shake of her head. "No. I'll handle it. I'll talk to him myself."

Ororo smiled at the little woman's tenacity.

"But right now," K said, as she pulled a bridle onto the roan. "I need to clear my head. You're welcome to join me, if you'd like." And though Ororo smiled warmly at her, she was shaking her head. "I'd love the company," K added. "It'll be fun."

"Maybe another time. It's too cold for me to ride. I'll watch from here, if you don't mind an audience," she replied as K jumped up from a bucket on the ground. She quickly settled herself on its back and gathered up the reins.

"I probably won't be long," K told her with a twinkle in her eyes. "It's been years since I rode, so I'm sure I'll fall off pretty quickly."

"It may help if you use a saddle, K," Storm smiled at her as K's grin grew.

"Yeah, maybe? But this is more fun," she replied as she walked the horse out of the barn and towards the driveway.

Halfway there they began to trot, and before long they were flat out running around the estate. Dirt flew from the horses hooves as they went and his snorting echoed back to Storm in the barn while K leaned forward and urged the horse to go faster. Storm laughed as she watched her ride.

One of the students she had once likened it to flying. She'd never believed her until she saw K drop the reins and slowly raise her arms up as the horse raced on. She wasn't the only one watching either.

Logan had been working on his Harley and had taken a break when he heard the horses pounding hooves and rhythmic snorting up in the garage.

He lit a cigar and leaned in the open door frame watching the show as she started off, surprised when she transitioned so quickly to cantering and even more so when she urged it to run. Bareback on top of all of it. The horse turned towards the small cross country course Jean had wanted to keep up and he watched with interest. Some of those jumps weren't small, and from what he'd seen it was not an easy course  _with_  a saddle for those that did ride it.

He stepped forward when he saw her raise her arms out as the horse pointed at a low jump. They flew over it with K looking as if she'd glued herself to its back. She kept her arms out as they continued down the course. They took one larger jump after another and the horse turned and evened out his pace as if he'd done it properly a thousand times.

After the last jump, K leaned far forward, her arms around the horse's neck as he panted from his run. She urged him to walk, and did circles and serpentines at a slower and slower pace as he caught his breath. She worked him a little more and tried to see what he knew as she slowly let him cool down.

Logan shook his head at the show. She didn't tell him she was that good of a rider. He watched her until she disappeared into the barn again then he turned to continue his work. Not long after, he could smell horse sweat as she entered the garage.

"Hey there," K said with a big smile on her face. "Need a hand?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled up a creeper seat and slid up next to him.

"Sure, if you want, but you're just gonna get dirty if you stick around," he told her. She bumped his shoulder playfully and pulled the oil pan over with her foot.

"Already got a head start on ya," she told him, before she pushed the pan under the bike. He looked up and smiled at her as she pulled the filter and removed the nut on the bottom of the block and let it empty in the pan.

"Saw you ridin'," he started nonchalantly. "You didn't tell me you were that good."

But she laughed it off with a little wave. "I'm not. I mean, I'm a decent little hand, but nothing special," she said as she helped him to remove and set the cover aside to access the battery.

"I don't know. I happen to know that horse doesn't like to jump, and you had him doing everything you wanted," he replied as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

"He just needs clear cues. Anyone could do that," K argued while she pulled the wires from the terminals. She had lost her smile and was looking more serious. She didn't realize that he was watching her.

"You think anyone can do it bareback too?" he asked.

She stopped her efforts to pull the battery before she wiped her hands on her jeans and turned his way. "You know, you're probably right. I'm just going to get dirty here. I'll leave you alone," she said as she pushed away from the bike.

Her shift had Logan wondering what the hell had just happened. He put his hand on her thigh and gave her a squeeze. "Now wait a second. You don't need to run off. What's wrong?" he asked, watching her shrug.

"Nothing. I just - I took a little ride. It was over so I thought I'd help you. But I should have just listened to you to start with. Now I just want to change my jeans and curl up for a while," she told him, forcing a tight smile.

He couldn't understand her sudden mood swing. "Alright. I'll be up in a bit. I'm almost done here," he told her before he leaned over and kissed her temple.

"Take your time," she told him as he lifted his hand from her leg. She stood up and walked slowly into the house with her arms crossed over her middle. He was still looking in her direction after the door closed behind her when Storm walked into the garage.

"What's going on with her, 'Ro?" he asked, not bothering to even say hello.

She barely smiled as she took K's vacated seat next to him. "She needs help, Logan. She's depressed. She's still fighting her demons and it seems they are winning more and more frequently," Ororo told him as he stared at the dangling terminals. "She's doubting herself at her very core."

"What's it gonna take to fix it?" he asked quietly.

"She hasn't healed yet. And I think she needs to face that program to let her get over this," she said as her hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

But he shook his head. "Jean deleted it for me and I won't attack her myself like that. I don't want to wreck what we got going on," he said.

"Maybe I can retrieve it somehow," she replied cryptically. "I can run it with her, you don't need to watch."

He sighed heavily as he looked up at her and shook his head. "It never got deleted, did it?" Logan asked.

Ororo just shrugged slightly, a mona lisa smile on her face as he smirked at her.

"Good. I need to hit it myself. I've lost too much sleep over this mess and how it stands. Besides, I should be able to help her learn to fight."

Storm smiled, not having expected a reaction like this from him without a little fight, but tickled that he'd come to the conclusion without any real effort on anyone's part. She left quietly as he finished changing the oil on the bike. Once he'd topped it off with gas, he grabbed the battery to take into the house for the coldest part of winter.

He found K in  _her_  room curled up in the window seat as she watched the snow start to fall outside.

"Hey sweetheart," he said as he closed the door behind him. "We need to talk."

K blew out all her breath and leaned her head on the glass, expecting bad news.

"I didn't exactly think things through the other day in the danger room," he admitted as he waited for her to turn to him. "I was wrong. If you want to gut Creed, I sure as hell can't blame you. You got as much or more of a reason than I do."

She turned to study him and frowned at his assessment. "Did Storm talk to you?" she asked.

He shrugged and sat down on her bed. "She didn't really need to," he admitted. "It's been on my mind since I pulled you from the sim."

She swung her legs over the lip of the window seat to face him properly. "You're alright with me trying to fight him again?" to which, he nodded.

"I need to be there too. I still want to help you if you need it, and when you're ready to take him down, I'll need to be able to watch you do it alone."

She fell silent and simply considered what he was proposing for a moment. "You're sure you're OK with this?" she asked warily.

He let out a rough, low chuckle. "Gotta be done, right?" he said gruffly. "Okay or not, I better get used to it."

* * *

The next morning they began working K on what she considered the 'secret' simulation. Her new schedule was straight forward. Danger room in the morning and Jean trying to rewire her in the afternoon, since once she'd talked it over with her, she really didn't like the idea of someone having programmed reactions into her head. Jean and Ororo were to always be in the booth and Logan was with her in the simulation room, though he promised to keep back unless it got too far out of hand, or she asked for his help.

The truth was, Logan was too tense to stay in the booth, and Jean thought it would help him to get over it and coach her if he was able to jump in if needed.

The first session went …  _alright_. To Jean and Ororo's surprise, she didn't wait for him to attack her. She was more than ready to fight but her follow through was something to be worked on, particularly since the fear coming off of her was visible even to those that didn't have a leg up through scent or telepathy. It took several tries before she got to a point where he didn't have her pinned and bleeding in the first few moments. Logan looked grim, but he was keeping to his word. Every time she'd go down, he gave her a few pointers and it wasn't too long before she could hold her own.

Things were progressing well until the simulation pinned her in a near exact situation as he had in her cell. On seeing - and scenting - her level of panic when she couldn't move, Logan snapped and shredded the robot into too many pieces to count.

When the dust settled, he was standing over her, panting, claws out, and totally feral as she looked up at him from the floor, simply waiting for him to calm down.

When his gaze finally landed on her, he started to relax. He straightened up and his claws retracted as he took a few steps closer to her. She reached out to him and rested her hand gently on his knee and smiled at him. When he turned to look at her he expected her to get angry. Instead she crawled up to him before he could entirely relax. When he pulled her to her feet, she kissed him back to himself and whispered  _'my hero'_. Though that had the two women in the booth smirking to themselves.

"Figured you'd be mad," Logan said looking at a fragment of the robot laying in front of him but she was shaking her head.

"No," she said "You jumped in right when I needed you." She leaned against him and kissed him again, only to stop when Jean cleared her throat from the booth.

"I think that's enough for one day. Watching Sabretooth go after her like that is …  _unsettling_ ," Jean said as Logan pulled K along with him, both of them feeling a little better at how the training was going.

The afternoon session with Jean was largely uneventful. K spent most of it unaware of what was happening, but was very tired afterward. The following day K entered the danger room with Logan, expecting the same until Logan gave her a kiss and told her he wanted to have her approach it differently.

"Wait until he attacks," Logan directed, his expression hard.

"But, I don't have a chance once he gets a hold of me," she said with a frown.

He nodded. "I know. That's why we have to practice it. I know you can hold your own when you know he's coming and you're ready, but he doesn't do that very often for you. You gotta practice where you need help."

"Right. I get that," K said before she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. He was right but she hadn't mentally prepared for that. Logan stepped back and she waited for Creed to appear. She started to walk and she didn't get more than 50 yards before he materialized and pounced. She got two solid hits in before he had her pinned hopelessly.

Logan's claws came inches from her face as he popped them through Creed's head, effectively ending the first simulation for the day. It continued much like that for the rest of the morning. By lunch time, K was worn out and emotionally drained. Logan called it a day during the last sim when K couldn't even defend herself and she simply fell to the floor as Creed hit her with the charge. She managed to hold her arm up to try and block her face when he bashed her with a backhand and knocked her out cold.

Logan was carrying her up his room when she woke up, dizzy and exhausted. He looked apologetic as he took her upstairs. After he set her on his bed, he offered her one of his flannels to wear as he put helped her to settle in and get her comfortable.

"Why are you being so nice – how badly did I do?" K asked him as she buttoned up the flannel, the uniform forgotten in a pile near the door. She had already leaned back into his pillows as he sat down next to her.

"You did about as well as expected. I'll be goin' over the footage for a few days, try an' see if I can find a way for you to fight back." He pulled up the covers for her and let out his breath. "Right now, I'm going to go find you a bite to eat. Rest up. I'll be back soon." She smiled sedately after him as he slipped out the door, already half asleep now that she was comfortable.

He leaned against his door in the hallway with his eyes closed for a moment after the latch for the knob clicked into place, just to gather his thoughts. He felt horrible. That last hit was way too damn hard. She didn't have a chance from the way he came at her. Jean said she could feel the impact from the control booth and K had actually stopped breathing for a moment from Creed's last attempt to send her through the wall.

He waited for a few moments to try and decide how best to handle her, when he was pleasantly surprised when Jean brought him some food for K.

"I knew you wouldn't want to leave her. How's she doing?" Jean asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think she knows what happened to her. She's exhausted, so I'm going to stay close and just keep an eye on her," he replied before he thanked her and slipped back in the room. He wasn't surprised to find that she was soundly asleep when he came in. He set the food down on the dresser and stripped down before he slid in next to her and pulled her to him. He was honestly disappointed when she didn't rouse more than to snuggle into him.

On the other hand, he couldn't sleep. He watched over her most of the night, several times just watching her breathe seeing as she hadn't moved a muscle.

When she woke up the next morning her head was still pounding. She rolled onto her back and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. Logan quickly got up and closed the curtains to cut out the sunlight. "What happened?" she groaned as she pulled his pillow over her face.

He sat down again next to her and told her how the session had ultimately ended. "You tried to leave the Danger Room using your head instead of the door."

She picked up the pillow to peek at him before she rolled onto her stomach, discouraged that she'd let herself get hit that hard.

He started rubbing her shoulders as he showed her yet another hidden talent as he worked the knots out of her. She was nearly asleep again by the time he finished.

"Hate to do this to you now that you're all relaxed and happy, but we gotta get up," he told her as he kissed her shoulder. She rolled over slowly and kicked the blanket down as she smiled at him sleepily.

"Are you sure we have to get up?" she asked as she lazily smiled up at him. He laid down beside her again and couldn't stop himself from kissing and nipping at her collarbone.

"You make it hard to do the right thing, woman," he growled out against her skin. She smiled as she started caressing his shoulders and nipped at his neck.

"You have a bad influence on me," she replied as she tried to keep him in bed.

"We're gonna be here all day if we don't get up right now," he said between kisses.

K propped herself up on her elbows as he looked her in the face, torn between getting her down to hot food and a passive medical exam or just going back to pushing her back into the pillows and having his way with her.

K was making a sound argument to stay, and playing incredibly dirty. He was absolutely leaning toward the 'bedrest' option, but before things could progress, there was a knock at the door. He snatched up the blanket and covered them both up while Kitty asked when their session was set to start.

"Not doing any sims today, Kitten. Take it if you want it," he told her as K peppered him with kisses, and nips while he tried desperately to convince himself that he  _shouldn't_ stay in bed with her. When he truly stopped returning her affection, K made no moves one way or the other, instead going neutral on him to make him choose. She figured he knew what she wanted.

When Logan forced opened his eyes again, K was looking back at him with a troublemaking smile. "We're probably going to have to get up after all," she said as he protested now. He let out a soft 'no' and then just leaned forward, pinning her down as she chuckled at his method. The day could wait. He had other things to attend to.

When Kitty knocked on the door and called out to him again a few minutes later, Logan flat out ignored her – far too interested in a different brunette calling his name as she egged him on.

* * *

Kitty was on strict orders from Hank to get them out of Logan's room. She knocked a third time and bit her lip, one eye closed, and not expecting an answer. She rolled her eyes, and walked back to Hank. "He said they're not using the danger room today, Hank. I can hazard a guess as to what they're up to but there is  _no way_  I'm sticking my head in his room right now," Kitty said, leaning on the counter and looking at Dr. McCoy seriously.

"Katherine, I am the very last person that can get away with interrupting things between those two. If I go up there, it's likely he'll take it personally. You can't send another feral anywhere near them … especially while they're ..." Dr. McCoy said, gesturing wildly for a moment. "You'll simply have to break it up. She needs a passive evaluation after the injury she sustained yesterday. Even with her regenerative abilities, that was  _bad_ , to put it simply."

Kitty hung her head backwards, glaring at the ceiling. " _Fine_. But don't pretend that the only reason you're asking me isn't because I can go intangible," she replied before heading back up the stairs. Still, she was sick to her stomach. She knew Logan would be furious if she interrupted. She returned reluctantly and raised her hand to knock one last time, but before she could, Jubilee tapped her on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow her.

"Don't do it," she warned Kitty. "They'll come out when they're done, and you  _know_ you don't want to walk in and see them … you know."

Kitty agreed, of course. Knowing what was happening was one thing ... seeing it in living breathing action quite a different story. "Ooh, yeah. No," Kitty agreed, instead following Jubilee to a safer spot near the top of the stairs where it wouldn't be quite so obvious they were waiting for anyone.

* * *

But it was just a matter of time since Logan refused to leave her alone and unguarded until Henry could give her the all clear and eventually, he talked her into getting up. He sent her to the shower and stepped out of his room with the intention to get her some clothes. He stopped short a few steps from his door though – a little surprised to see Kitty and Jubes camped out by the stairs, arms crossed and smirking at him. He looked between the two of them before deciding that this could work out to his advantage if he was careful. He cleared his throat before trying to break up the two of them – who as far as he could remember hadn't really liked to chat until now.

"Can one of you girls go get K a change of clothes? She's kind of in need," he requested. He was totally unashamed even though he clearly looked as if K had put him through the ringer.

Jubilee's eyes widened and Kitty smiled as she nodded and ran through K's door to pick out some things quickly for her. Jubilee just frowned a bit at him as they waited for Kitty's return. She had her arms crossed over her chest, one eyebrow raised as she looked down her nose at the state of affairs. Though it seemed like the firecracker didn't have much to say all of a sudden. When Kitty returned and casually handed a little bundle of clothes to Logan she was blushing and trying to stop the grin.

"OK, Everything she needs is here," Kitty told him as she put her hand on his arm to stop him from just slipping off and made sure she was looking him in the eye as she delivered her message. "Hank is pacing in the kitchen waiting to check her over," she informed him.

He huffed in response and headed back to his room. Before he had touched the doorknob though, she continued, freezing him in his tracks. "Oh, and one more thing, Logan. You know, if you're going to keep doing this, you really need to just move in together. Save you a load of trouble if she has her clothes with yours. She's already in your bed every night." Kitty was grinning widely at him as she crossed her arms across her chest.

He blinked hard a couple times, mumbled a thanks and nodded, for once not meeting the girls eyes as he returned to his room.

The two of them stared at each other, mouths open before they fell into a fit of giggles. For the first time in both their memories, they headed downstairs together, discussing the ramifications of their Wolvie clearly falling for this woman.


	17. Great Minds Think Alike

Hank's irritation disappeared when K finally appeared in the kitchen. She walked up and pulled a chair out to sit in front of him away from the table. She had her chin up, knees together, back straight and hands resting on her knees primly as she smiled at him.

"Sorry you had to wait," K said quietly as she composed herself further. She made a motion with her hands as though she were smoothing out her jeans. "I shall endeavor to cooperate,  _albeit reluctantly,_  to the best of my abilities." She ended with a playful smile and a twinkle in her eyes that made him smirk as he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he realized that she was teasing him. That at least, was a good sign.

With a shake of his head, he examined her quickly. She barely flinched when he said she'd need to go the lab if she took another hard hit like that again. After they discussed matters at hand, and she allowed him to finish his exam, he gave her the go ahead to resume training. She grinned and gave him a kiss on the cheek that made him blush purple.

"Thank you. For being so patient with me," K said with a grateful smile before she stood to get a cup of coffee. She returned shortly thereafter focused  _solely_ on the caffeine in front of her. The two of them sat in relative quiet as Henry started up a quiet conversation with her consisting entirely of small talk as he tried, in his own way, to get to know her a bit better. After all, one can only learn so much about a person from clinical tests. She was warm and engaging and he noted she didn't tease him one bit about his coloring or fur as most did when they started to feel comfortable with him. It made him relax around her – which just made their conversation that much more enjoyable.

When the conversation died down a bit, Henry felt no need to rush back to the lab, deciding instead to join her for coffee – even if he'd already had several cups waiting for her to show in the first place.

As K started to take a sip of a fresh cup, Kitty sat down across from her. And soon after, Jubilee took the seat next to her. She thought it was odd, but wasn't too concerned until Betsy joined them too. K glanced between the three women and simply raised an eyebrow in question.

Hank watched carefully and being the inquiring mind that he was, he had to wonder what was about to happen. It would have been irresponsible and  _unscholarly_ to leave at such a critical juncture in human relations, so he elected to stick around, though he hid his intentions by working on the crossword puzzle.

Kitty hadn't really seen K much outside of the first night she'd been conscious. She'd liked her well enough  _then_ but most of what she knew about the woman was from what Jubilee, Jean, and Storm had told her. It wasn't enough for her considering how Logan was so obviously hooked. She needed to see how K felt about her father figure.

"So,  _K_ ," Kitty started as K lifted her gaze to hers, looking rather approachable at the moment. It wasn't until just then that Kitty realized that she had no idea what the woman's real name was. It made Kitty start to fiddle with her coffee mug. "We were curious. What are your intentions with Logan?"

.

K paused and her eyes widened, taken off guard by Kitty's question. If she'd had coffee in her mouth she'd have likely choked on it. K cleared her throat and looked into her mug trying to figure out how to answer. Clearly the young woman was just concerned for him. She knew Kitty was important to him too ... so she didn't want to lie or mislead.

"Well – I think you'd have to ask him," she replied slowly, though she didn't meet her eyes. Though it was a bit out of her normal repertoire, K blushed a little when she heard the words leaving her mouth. She never  _ever_ left decisions like that to a guy, and when she heard it, she felt incredibly uncomfortable as the trio now stared at her open mouthed. Henry's intrigued expression over his spectacles wasn't exactly easy to miss either.

"You mean you don't know," Kitty clarified in a slightly irritated tone, her eyes narrowed as she watched K glare into her mug. Kitty had thought this woman was serious about him but her answer had made her wonder if this was just another fast burning affair for both of them.

"What do  _you_ want from … whatever?" Jubilee asked, shocking herself that she'd managed to keep  _her_ tone neutral. Jubes was more convinced than Kitty that there was something major going on. But she also really didn't want to see him get hurt again by some woman he'd completely fallen for. Even  _she'd_ seen that too many times.

Betsy however, watched the little brunette stare into her coffee for a moment, and a smile formed on her lips. "You girls have it wrong," Betsy said as she lifted her cup to take a sip. "You should be asking him his intentions, not the other way around. She's in love with him."

K's head popped up with a deep glare directed Betsy's way. " _I don't know that_  – I – we haven't been together – how would ... how would  _you_  know that?" K stammered.

Kitty and Jubilee shared a quick glance and both grinned as they watched her lose her composure. They took that as a good sign but Betsy leveled with her, her perfect eyebrow arched as she spoke.

"Even if I  _wasn't_  a telepath, anyone that's been there can see you're hooked. I just think it's a tragedy that you have no plan other than to just give  _him_  the reins," she said critically. Kitty and Jubilee held their breath as they watched K's mouth drop for just a moment before she snapped it shut. She seemed to look almost as if someone had accused her of something awful. Like drowning puppies for fun and money.

"You know what?" K said as her whole demeanor toughened up suddenly "If it's meant to happen, it will. It's not up to me to try to force  _anything_. All I know is that I'm going to enjoy whatever this is while I'm able to." She leveled her glare at Betsy and waited for an insult or criticism from the ex-model.

And though her ferocious glare set Psylocke back, she smiled at her. "That sounds precisely like something he would say. Which ... I think is good," Betsy said, highly amused at K's take on things. K lost her defensive tone and wrinkled her brow as she continued. "He needs someone that understands him. And it certainly looks like you do. Which makes it just that much more tragic that you two are approaching it in the same manner – the blind leading the blind as it were."

Hank had just watched the whole conversation like a tennis match. He cleared his throat and gathered his paper and coffee. As he pushed his glasses up his nose, he excused himself quietly and disappeared back to his lab. Not that any of them moved a muscle as he slipped off. No one at the table said another word. K was livid, but couldn't seem to find a thing to say to any of them so she just glared at each of them in turn then abandoned her coffee to silently slip away.

Kitty regretted having brought it up now that she saw that K didn't seem to be approaching Logan like someone to be used and tossed aside. Jubilee was scared now that she was sure K was angry with her, she figured it was likely that Logan would also be angry with her very soon.

Betsy however, was just trying to think of a way to manipulate the two to get more serious. Unlike the other two, her rapport with Logan had already clued her in as to how he felt about the woman, whether he acknowledged it or not. "You're all too nervous about this," Betsy said, sitting back as she took another sip. "Kurt will be here soon enough. He'll sort through this."

* * *

K was a irritated and frankly embarrassed that they'd cornered her like that and questioned her as if she had any say in the matter. She headed down to the Danger Room, though this time she made her way to the booth and sat with Scott as he ran a class of students through a simple simulation.

She took a seat next to him without saying a word. Her arms were crossed while she watched the students as they tried their best, tripping occasionally and some of them screaming as they were accosted by MRD. Scott hadn't taken his eyes off the kids more than to simply mutter a friendly hello as she sat down.

When she huffed instead of answered, he decided it best to just leave her be. She continued to watch the students fumbling, her irritation grew as she thought about the talk with the girls. When Scott dismissed the class he turned to her finally and decided to try and help whoever had tried to get in the woman's cross hairs.

"I have an open hour. You want to burn off some steam?" Scott asked. K looked at him as if she suspected that he was up to something. Though who could blame her? So far the morning had been enough to make her want to injure someone. It had started so,  _so_ incredibly well. And gone down hill so fast after that.

She bit the inside of her lip as she weighed it out and decided she'd slap the living shit out of him if he so much as asked her about Logan, but agreed to join him. She walked with him down to start the simulation in silence.

The only question Scott asked her on the way was if she wanted to change first. He wasn't surprised when she shook her head no and he opted not to push her to do so.

When they left the room an hour later, Scott was smiling. It was the first time he'd gotten to work with her alone and he was pleased with how it had gone. She definitely worked better ticked off. He wondered if it was a feral thing as he laughed at his own little inside joke when the thought crossed his mind. When she looked up at him in question, he shook his head. "Nothing." She still hadn't spoken since the booth, but at least she was far more relaxed and a lot less angry. As they rode the elevator up, he finally decided to ask what was bothering her.

"So, who got on your bad side this morning?" he asked as he tried and half failed to repress a smile.

She sighed. "Kitty, Jubilee and Betsy."

" _Ah_ ," Scott said, the sound from deep in his chest and in total understanding as to what the trouble was. "All three at once … I won't guess on the subject matter. They mean well. Don't let them get to you."

She leaned back against the wall of the elevator with her hands behind her back as she looked up at the tall leader of the team. "I know," she sighed. "They just want me to answer questions I have no answers for."

At her tone, Scott frowned and turned her way. "You and Logan alright?" he blurted out before he could censor himself.

She rolled her eyes and let out all her breath. "I don't know. I think so. I don't know how he handles … whatever the hell this is. I don't know what to even call it," she answered while looking at the floor.

"You  _really_ don't know what to call it? You're kidding right?" Scott said in a tone of utter disbelief, his brows drawn together. "Don't tell me you're as bad as he is with committed relationships."

"Well, seeing as I don't know how bad he is in that area, so ... I dunno. Maybe?" She looked anywhere but at the tall brunette. Particularly because she could see him smirking in the most obnoxious manner.

Now he understood. They were grilling her on where things were headed with him, and she was as clueless as Logan was. Unexpectedly, Scott stepped over and gave her a tight hug. "If you're leaving it up to him, he'll figure it out if he hasn't already. They're asking you because he's in deep and everyone can see it. They just want to protect him."

She laughed a little at how the conversation had shifted so easily. "You know, I went into that session with my mind made up that if you tried to talk to me about this I was going to slap you around," K told him frankly as he released her from the hug and the two of them stepped off the elevator.

"Good luck with that," he replied with a stunning smile that got a grin from her. She laughed in response as the two of them climbed the stairs.

"Ah,  _my hero,_ " K said dramatically, as she hugged him from the side again, and Scott didn't hesitate to roll with it, grinning wider. They had just split up- going different directions- and she'd almost made it halfway down the hall toward her room when Logan caught up with her.

"Where you been hidin' all morning?" Logan asked before he wrinkled up his nose and almost took a step back. "And why  _tha hell_  do you smell like Scooter?"

Scott gave her a quick salute with a broad grin from behind Logan's back as he walked backward toward his room and K had to keep herself from laughing.  _Little shit did that on purpose,_ she thought to herself before she turned her attention back to Logan. "Ah - Danger room – with Scott. He ran a little workout with me. He's not a half bad guy, you know," she answered as she opened the door to her room and entered with Logan in her wake. He pulled her to him and kissed her, though his brow furrowed as the kiss ended.

"Jesus, he's all over you. What the hell kinda work out were you doing?" he asked, his expression was a little strained.

"He said it was some kind of brotherhood? I don't know. He did give me a hug in the elevator. That's probably what the smell is about. Don't  _think_ you need to worry about it," she told him taking off her shoes. He looked her over. "Of course, if you're feeling overprotective, I'm sure you can watch the instant replay of the security camera in the elevator." She found no reason to pretend like she didn't know he was acting territorial.

"Why weren't you in a uniform?" he asked as she unbuttoned her now dirty, sweaty and bloodied jeans "This wasn't a planned session was it?" She shook her head no and continued to strip on her way to the bathroom. He watched her move and his eyes locked on a very nasty bruise on her back that was just now starting to fade.

"If Slim's not going to take better care of you, you're not going to work with him," he said as he ran a finger across her bruise. She had to smirk at him, though she decided to not tease him using Scott – even if Scott had handed it to her so she could. She leaned back into him and he relaxed a bit when she tipped her head back onto his shoulder and gave him a quick kiss on his jaw.

"He wasn't supposed to take care of me," she told him as she stepped forward away from him and into the shower. Logan left her to wash up and waited for her on her bed.

When she was finished, she sidled up next to him and snuggled into him, content to just stay there for the time being. She was a little down and didn't say a word to him as she drew lazy designs on his chest with her finger.

"Why don't you move into my room with me?" he asked her suddenly. She stopped drawing for a moment then simply continued again slower without saying a word. He gave her a moment before he tried to look at her. When he still got no answer, he finally entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a little more time. The minutes ticked by before she picked up her head to look at him. She seemed to study his face as they stared at each other before she leaned up and kissed him.

"Alright," she said finally.

He glowered at her a second. "Took you that long to say yes?" he complained as she laid her head down on his shoulder.

"Sorry. I was just thinking it all over," she replied.

"Is it that hard of a decision?" he asked, wondering if he was wrong to ask her.

"No, of course it's not," she said, confusing him further. She shook her head. "It's been a rough morning, that's all."

He kissed her forehead, trying to figure out what was rough about it. Last he checked it'd been a pretty damn good morning. Then he realized that the problem was from someone else.

"Who was givin' you a hard time?" he growled out, though he'd guessed at least part of the answer already.

"Forget it," she said. "Not important." He let out a low warning growl that made her pick up her head and give him a look. "Yeah, that's not going to work for you, I don't think."

"You said you wouldn't shut me out. Who was it," Logan said firmly.

"See. Now you're gonna make me feel guilty when you put it like that," K replied before she eased back into his shoulder. She couldn't even begin to hesitate or slip around it. "Kitty, Jubilee, and Betsy," she said quickly with a dejected tone.

He knew it would be Kitty and Jubes. Betsy was a surprise though. "I'll talk to them," he said firmly. It was easy to hear the irritation in his voice.

"Don't you dare," K countered, challenging him as she picked her head up again to look him in the eye and poke him in the chest. "Apparently, they're concerned that I'm stealing your virtue."

He stared at her openly for a moment, but his expression quickly shifted to a more teasing one. "Stealing my virtue? Sweetheart, that ship sailed a long time ago. Pretty sure there ain't a damn bit of me with any 'virtue' left to it," he said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes at his commentary. "You know what I mean." She sounded tired as she set her head down. "To them, I'm some evil seductress hell bent on screwing you into submission or something like that. At least, that's what it sounded like they were alluding to."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "I don't think I could fight you off if you were to decide to have your wicked way with me," he teased in a gravelly rumble.

She couldn't help but smile into his shirt. "Oh, sure. You better watch yourself, mister. I might just lure you away to somewhere secluded and force myself on you."

He waggled his eyebrows and pulled her until she was sitting on him, kissing her all the while. "No, no ... stop, stop. No. Oh, please. Please, don't. No. Don't stop. No, please ... please God, don't stop," he half whispered, half smiled between kisses as she tried to stop laughing at him and he kept pulling her in for more.

"You're so wrong," she said with a disbelieving laugh as she finally sat up and he leaned back, grinning, entirely amused with the whole situation.

"Come on, let's get you moved," he said with a swat to her thigh. When she climbed out of bed, it was a quick job to simply grab what little clothing she had and re-hang most of it in his closet.

"Anything else?" he asked with a frown as she returned from her now mostly vacant room with her shampoos and toothbrush.

"Nope. That's it," she replied cheerfully. He had to admit that he was expecting a little more than two armfuls of clothes and some soap. But she wasn't bothered in the least as she smiled at him as she sat down on his bed.

K threw herself backward, arms out. "Oh, man. Moving is  _so hard_. Just takes it right out of me," she said with a sleepy smile. "So. when are we going to start the Creed simulation again?"

"After I give ya a tour of your new room," he replied with a troublemaking smirk.

* * *

They got started on the simulation early the next morning with K losing time after time. It didn't matter how hard she arched her back, or tried to twist her hips, once he had he pinned, she was done. She was wearing herself out trying to avoid him, but as she'd said to begin with, once he had a hold of her, she simply couldn't stop him.

They continued like that for weeks. Her lack of real progress had Logan concerned for her. From where he stood, it looked like she was just torturing herself. But she still hadn't given any indication of an intention to give up.

So the last time they ran the simulation, Logan was totally unprepared when she just gave up as he grabbed her. She didn't even try to fight as he pinned her down. Her face looked blank even before he'd bashed her into the floor. Logan ran in and broke up the simulation as K just laid there.

"What happened?" he asked with concern as he looked her over. "Why didn't you fight?"

She calmly stared past him to the ceiling. "You can delete the program now. I don't need it anymore," she said quietly. To say he was confused would be an understatement. He sat down next to her and had her pick up her head to set in his lap.

"I've done everything you've told me. I've fought back with every ounce I had. It just didn't matter one bit," she said flatly. He watched her, getting worried that a breakdown was eminent.

"K?" he said softly, unsure what to make of it, but she sat up and kissed him very carefully, as a sense of quiet filled the air around her.

"I've  _never_ had a chance to stop him. Even if I had, I never would have been able to do it. I can maim him. I can bleed him out –  _If_  it's a square fight. But an ambush – no. That's never gonna change," she said, a little sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry I wasted so much of your time with that. But," she continued "every single time you were involved, you would win. I just need to hope that you're around if I end up with a gigantic raving lunatic jackass intent on raping or killing me."

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect you," he told her, but she shook her head with a sad sort of smile.

"I know you will if you're around. But, you shouldn't have to," she replied. "You taught me enough that I think I can handle just about everything that comes my way, and what I can't – I'll heal from it." She stood up and started to walk away and he quickly got up to follow her. Her quietness had gotten to him. She wasn't exactly peaceful, but more resigned to the facts in front of her. She stopped in the doorway suddenly and met his gaze.

"I'm gonna go clean up," she said quietly. "I'll see you later."

He stopped in his tracks and numbly nodded his head. She'd never asked to be alone before. He was ticked off at what she'd decided to simply take as fact instead of fighting it. She had done everything right and still couldn't win unless the bigger guy made a mistake. It wasn't right. She'd refused to practice with weapons other than what she had on her naturally, which was a shame since the one time he'd gotten her to use a gun – she was devastating. The only saving grace she had in hand to hand was the fact that the second there was an opening, she didn't hesitate to take it. She was the most opportunistic fighter he'd ever trained.

But even that didn't change the fact that she just wasn't big enough against someone like Creed. Hell,  _he_ wasn't big enough. But he had strength on his side that she was missing.

Then it hit him. That's  _why_ Creed fixated on her. Her size dictated the fact that no matter what she did, no matter how smart or strong or fast she was, Creed's massive size would always overpower her. If he thought about it, that was the case with most of his victims, himself included.

He gave her some time to clear her head and found her asleep in his chair by the window. She was wrapped in a towel, all curled up on herself. Gently, he picked her up and with her head lolling on her shoulders he put her in bed and covered her up to let her rest.

She woke up hours later in the middle of the night all alone. She pulled the flannel sheet up around her as she sat up and took stock of her surroundings. She sleepily wondered where Logan was. He had rarely missed an opportunity for any time in bed with her, and she knew he'd put her there. She stood up with an uneasy feeling and slipped some clothes on before she padded silently down the stairs to the main floor.

The house was dark, and no one was around that she could find. It was a little eerie. She was used to someone being awake and around at all times. Her tension began to rise as she made her way through the house. She couldn't find a soul.

She decided to go back upstairs and see if she'd missed someone and was simply over reacting. She tiptoed from door to door down the teacher's wing but she heard no one in any of the rooms. She started to worry and instinctively went into a crouch as she worked her way to the student's wing. All was quiet there. Every student accounted for, but every single teacher was apparently MIA.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She had to be missing something. She stalked back into Logan's room and looked around for any clues. But nothing was out of place. She again slipped down the stairs, wary of the dead silence around her. She chose to head down to the lower levels, though she used the stairs to keep from drawing attention to her by using the elevator ... just in case there was a situation at hand.

As she came up on the lab, she saw Hank working diligently as always. She let out a breath of relief and straightened up. She was far more relaxed now that she knew she wasn't alone with a house full of kids. At least he would be able to tell her what was happening. She slipped in unnoticed until she was nearly right next to him.

"Hi Henry," K purred out at him. He dropped the test tube he had in his hand when he realized she was standing there.

"Oh, goodness. You scared the dickens out of me," he told her as he bent to pick up the broken glass. She couldn't help but smile at him as she knelt down to help him. She'd never met anyone who would admit so easily that she'd scared them.

"Where is everyone?" K asked after they'd cleared the mess and she took a seat on a stool next to him.

"There was a big to-do that came up. They are currently out trying to diffuse the situation and prevent innocent blood from being shed." K looked alarmed. "Oh, don't fret. This kind of thing usually finds its natural end quickly. I expect them to be back by dawn at the latest." Hank's smile was warm as he rested his hand on hers. "It would probably be wise to just go back to bed and rest. The security system is on and will not disarm until the blackbird returns."

She shifted on the chair and looked up at him somewhat shyly. "Would you mind terribly if I kept you company instead?" she asked. "I'm a little uneasy being the only person in an entire wing. Pretty sure I'd scare the life out of Chloe if she woke up and stepped on me in the morning." He looked at her with a bit of shock on his face that quickly morphed into delight.

"You want to stay here in the lab with me, willingly? Are you feeling alright?" he asked, only halfway teasing as he rested the back of his hand on her forehead. She shrugged openly and he smiled warmly at her, before the two began chatting about the experiments he was working on.

Before it was over, she'd generously donated a pint of blood for his tests. As she was rolling down her sleeve, the comlink crackled to life. It was noisy but Scott was requesting that Hank have a few beds ready for the injured. They were on their way. K helped him to prepare for whatever they might bring in, even going so far as to wheel down a pair of gurneys to the hangar with him for those that may need it. They had no idea how severe the injuries may or may not be – or who was in trouble.

When the jet landed, the sight of it took K's breath away. She couldn't believe that Scott had managed to fly it back. There was a large hole in the fuselage, and scorch marks on the wing. One of the landing gear was missing entirely.

When the hatch popped open, Scott carried Kitty down the steps and laid her on the first stretcher before he started to run her toward the lab, shouting over his shoulder for Hank to get Logan out. K's heart skipped a beat. If he was among the injured, and needed help getting out, that could only mean it had to be bad. Field first aid had him held together, but he wasn't conscious and was bleeding slowly from somewhere.

Hank got Logan out of the jet and onto a stretcher before he told K to take him to the lab while he attended to the other injured parties. She got him there quickly and Scott left Kitty momentarily to help her jockey him into the right spot. Scott directed her as he told her where to put his monitor leads for his heart and breathing as he returned to finish up the same on Kitty. Gambit and Bobby were the other two injured, though they were awake and able to make it in on their own.

Hank glanced over at Logan's injuries. His brow furrowed when he saw that he was still bleeding. But, Kitty was having trouble breathing and non-healer not breathing trumped healer that was every time. With a growled out complaint to himself, Hank was forced to abandon Logan momentarily. As he worked on Kitty, K took charge of Logan's injuries.

She started to remove the tape they'd used in the field even as Scott yelled at her to stop, but she ignored him as she cautiously slipped her hands across his torso with her eyes closed. She carefully felt her way across his body in search for the source of the bleed. When she couldn't find anything immediately, she popped a claw and cut off his uniform, too impatient to wait for scissors. She ran her hands up his stomach and chest and found no injury where the uniform had been shredded.

"Scott, can you help me turn him?" K called out when she realized it had to be his back since his front and sides were clear. She knew she wasn't strong enough to turn him and balance him herself.

Scott shook his head but as Logan's blood streamed off the gurney, he knew it couldn't wait. "You really should wait for help," Scott chided, almost grudgingly doing as she asked. He helped her to turn him onto his side as K balanced him and Scott told her what had happened as she worked. She cut off the rest of his uniform top and began to search his side and back until she found a large wound near his spine. She looked to Hank, who advised her how to find the foreign object that had stopped him from healing properly.

She took a deep breath and began to slip her hand into the gash in Logan's back as Hank directed her. Her eyes closed as she tried to feel her way to find the problem as Henry coached her glancing at her from Kitty's bedside. Her fingers had just touched something metallic with a ragged edge when Logan woke up screaming. It was obvious that he was in pain from his injury but even more so at the hand inside him.

To everyone's shock, K quickly found herself skewered as she wrapped her fingers around the foreign object. He was clearly in agony and had no clue who he'd just stabbed. It was a good, solid hit too. He'd punctured her diaphragm and both lungs – a fact that made itself apparent to Henry almost immediately when she began to gasp like a fish out of water.

The injury meant that breathing was no longer an option for K, but she wasn't about to let go of the shrapnel for someone else to bleed over. With a grimace, she pulled out the metal that was jammed between his spine and rib cage and Logan twisted his wrist with a growl in retaliation, still not aware of what was going on around him. Blood poured from her as she dropped the shrapnel to the floor and her knees buckled.

His arm went with her, his claws caught up on her ribs and he finally blinked off the haze he'd been in just in time to see her blank face as she slid to the floor. Horrified, he retracted his claws and the bleeding increased even more as he slipped down right after her. He cradled her to himself as best he was able while she tried and failed to get a breath of air.

The lab was silent except for the beeping machines attached to Kitty. No one approached them right away, partly for fear of Logan's claws, but partly from shock. He was reliving one of his worst memories and nightmares and she wasn't reacting beyond staring off blankly before her attempts to breathe simply ceased and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

Logan froze. K was in his arms and her body was limp. Jean started to yell at him, but he couldn't string together what she was saying. It was Scott, as he tried to pull Logan away from her still and bloodied body that snapped him out of it. He shoved Scott away and laid K flat. He pressed his ear to her chest then started mouth to mouth, working frantically.

He was running on pure adrenaline. The team stared at them in disbelief. All of them, himself included thought he'd killed her, but he knew in the back of his head that if he could keep air in her lungs she'd heal up. He almost stopped when she coughed blood up, but Hank shouted his renewed encouragement. A few assisted breaths later and she started coughing in earnest.

Logan pulled her tightly to him, relief washing over him even as she was still coughing up blood, and he was sorely out of breath. The rest of the group all breathed out a sigh of relief when her blood soaked hands drifted up and clutched to him.

When Kitty was finally stabilized, Logan numbly allowed Hank to take K from his arms. Celia came in and looked over Logan while he was still in shock. As cold as it was, it was far easier to assess him when he wasn't able to focus on what she was doing or argue with her that he didn't need any intervention.

Hank was relieved to find that her wounds were already closing up, which meant that most of the internal damage was likely already healed. The  _amount_  of blood she was coughing up though was staggering. Tests were run on both, and as soon as Henry saw on x-ray that her lungs were not filled with fluid, Logan was allowed to take her out of the lab.

She didn't ask any questions as they leaned on each other and they slowly walked out. Both of them were covered in varying stages of drying blood. As they made their way up the stairs, Chloe happened to be going back to her room from the bathroom and froze when she saw both of them looking so beat up. Logan met her gaze and she froze, terrified by her blood soaked teacher. She took a few steps backward as they passed, clearly scared for her friend as the two of them clung to each other.

Logan got them both into their room, and soon had the water running in the shower. The adrenaline had worn off and exhaustion had begun to set in. He helped her remain upright as he quickly stripped off her clothes and pulled her with him under the water.

When they were finished, and wrapped up in towels, he was truly surprised when she leaned into him and kissed him very carefully.

"I was so worried about you," she told him as he stared at her, dumbfounded. That was an entirely new reaction and he had no idea how to process it but to just curl up with her and try to forget how horribly the run had ended.


	18. Reports And Refining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a 'his pov' of some of the events last chapter ... and then ... ON with the story, and the intro of a particularly special character.

The mission that had left Logan and Kitty injured had been partially successful. The team had gone to offer support to the Avengers while they closed down a drug developer that was using mutants as guinea pigs in an effort to cure them of the genetic scourge. The raid wasn't supposed to happen when it did, but they had to rush it seeing as the developer had been tipped off by a leak within SHIELD.

Shadowcat, Captain America, and Wolverine had been leading the way in and as a result had taken on the heaviest fire.

Kitty had been able to simply phase out as she allowed the shots intended to her to simply pass through her harmlessly until the very end of their mission when she was hit before she could phase by a falling chunk of concrete. The blow was glancing, but it had done severe damage all the same. As a result, she laid in the med bay with a concussion and some stitches in her scalp. She felt awful when she finally heard how the rest of the evening played out.

Wolverine and Cap had managed to get her out of the building after the rest of the team freed the mutants they'd been using and removed all their research and documents. Stark had been careful to wipe their computers and zombify them to send any and all new information to his database in Avengers Tower in an attempt to monitor any further pushes to continue their unregulated, illegal activities.

Logan had just handed Kitty to Cap so he could find the best scent trail out, headed up the stairs of the blackbird when an unexpected enemy showed up.

Logan stopped cold, in total disbelief of what he had scented out. It didn't make any  _sense_... but his nose never lied to him. As he turned his head to try to catch a better scent, he was hit hard.

Creed was back. Seeing the lunatic in the middle of a drug den the Avengers were busting was enough of a shock that Logan was taken off guard for an instant as he tried to gather himself. But that was all Creed needed, and he slashed at Logan ruthlessly before Logan could pop his claws. It was obvious that their old feud hadn't lost it's white hot hatred, and whatever damage K had done him was fully healed.

It was hands down, the most vicious thing that Cap had ever been witness to. Stark was taken back at the ferocity of it too. Both had seen Wolverine fight before – but not like this. Not so raw and rage filled. Tony couldn't let it continue. In an effort to aid his team mate, Stark targeted Sabretooth and fired on him. It was hard to watch the two men with explosions accenting the bloodshed, and claws, but he wasn't going to let his team down. Not over Creed.

When Cyclops got involved too, Sabretooth decided to turn tail and run, but not before he gave Logan a parting gift. As Logan pulled himself out of a pile of debris, Victor bounded over on all fours then stabbed him with a ka-bar. He snapped the blade off at the hilt while his hand was wrapped around Logan's bare throat to keep him from turning and nailing him back.

As soon as Creed pushed him away, he disappeared. Wolverine fell to his hands and knees as Tony gave chase, targeting systems singing with shooting solutions that Creed was going to feel for a while. Logan dragged himself upright and stumbled towards the jet. He was bleeding badly by the time he got even halfway close. Seeing his old comrade at arms in trouble, Cap finished the fight he was in quickly and rushed to his aide.

Though Logan protested the help, Cap blatantly ignored him, and ended up half-carrying the little feral to the jet before he passed out with Cap trying frantically to stop the bleeding.

So naturally, when Logan woke up later at the med lab with someone's hand inside his open wound, he simply couldn't focus on his surroundings past the pain. It didn't help matters that all he could smell was blood. The fluorescent lights triggered him into a panic as he relived the torture at the labs of Weapon X in a flash.

It was all instinct from there. He felt his claws sink into flesh when the hand inside his wounded body pulled something out – he honestly didn't know if it was part of him or not. He savagely twisted his arm in retaliation, only then realizing it was a mistake when one of his claws caught on something. His claws didn't catch on anything, except more adamantium.

Clarity rushed to him and when he blinked out of the haze, he was sure his heart had stopped. Everything went numb as he first stared at her, his ears ringing loudly, blocking out everything before he went into autopilot trying to save K from his horrible mistake. When he tasted her blood that she coughed up during his attempt to get her breathing, the numbness finally started to break. He did not expect her to stick around after that. Healer or no.

If he wasn't in crazy for her after that, then he knew he had to be completely irredeemable. He thought the whole experience over as he tried to sleep late that night with her curled into his side.

He understood more fully what all of his team mates had to have gone through so many times when  _they_ were the ones watching him go to the brink only to come back as if it weren't much more than a paper cut. The only thing he hadn't been able to control yet, was the panic when she appeared mortally wounded. His conditioning from watching the women he'd loved die so easily, made it impossible for him to overlook her wounds. But the fact was that she was still there. Alive, whole and against all reason that he could figure –  _with_  him. Sure, she was tired, but she was perfectly fine. It was bizarre for him to see the other side. He knew what he  _wanted_ to do though, and if he was being honest with himself, it made him nervous.

* * *

Logan woke up the next morning to kisses on his neck. He tipped his head to the side and slid a hand into her hair to guide her up to his face instead.

"What's wrong?" K asked with a purr. "I had a wakeup plan in mind and you're totally wrecking my fun."

Logan just let out a little chuckle and shook his head. "I could have killed you last night," he told her. But K shrugged and tipped her head to the side.

"But ... you didn't. If it was Hank or Celia, they definitely would have been dead. But me? I'm fine – see?" she replied, using her point as an excuse to strip off her shirt. "Everything is where it should be." He growled and flipped her over then paused and leaned in to kiss the spots that he'd stabbed her. She slid her hands into his hair, as he readjusted himself to lay his head on her stomach, enjoying her just being there. She tipped her head to the side as she looked down at him.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked him in a more concerned tone him after a little while. When he looked up at her, she was no longer flirting or teasing … just genuinely concerned for him.

"Yeah. I'm great. Couldn't be better," he told her with a sedate smile that she easily returned.

"You sure?" she asked as she continued to run her hands through his hair. He grabbed her wrist and turned her hand in his to kiss her palm, which only had her a little more concerned for him

She started to sit up when he rose to his hands and knees and pushed her back, kissing her into the pillows again.

* * *

Charles was concerned after reading the report about the mission. The incident last night was troublesome. Scott had reported that Sabretooth was indeed was alive, well, and angrier with Logan than he had ever been.

Still, he had yet to speak with the little feral and was concerned about Logan's well being after he learned about the incident with K in the med lab. By all accounts, it was an unavoidable occurrence that could and should have ended much worse had K not been there and decided to assist Hank in the lab with incoming wounded.

It was a certainty that Hank would have been the one on the receiving end of Logan's claws rather than K, who was following Hank's instruction at the time. Instruction that Hank admitted skipped over the notion of drugging Logan first.

By all accounts, K's reaction to her injury was far better than he'd expected. Jean said she was purposely trying to  _not_ look Logan in the face, and instead, she maintained a very passive expression. It seemed he'd need to have a talk with K as well.

For as deeply involved as it appeared she and Logan were, then news of Sabretooth's reappearance would mean nothing but trouble for the couple.

* * *

K was nearly finished getting dressed when Logan asked her to join him with Charles. He explained that he had to report his side of what had happened and he told her that he'd rather not repeat himself, seeing as some of it involved her. Resigned to it, she agreed though there was no way she was going to be happy with all that his report would include.

Charles watched K as Logan revealed the fact that Creed had indeed returned with a chip on his shoulder. She went very still on hearing the news. No fear, no panic, just flat acceptance. When Logan finished his side of things from the lab, Charles had to prompt her to answer him. He needed to hear in her own words what her perspective was.

"I'm sorry. I was a little lost in thought," K said, shaking her head hard for a moment. "Yes. It was accidental.  _He's_ fine,  _I'm_ fine. Nothing but a little blood between friends, right?" Though that was a dead giveaway that she clearly had not really heard what Charles had asked.

"K, I was asking if you were going to continue with training on the simulation with Creed. It's a safe bet that he will come after one or both of you at some point in the future," Charles told her.

"Oh... I guess so," K replied. Logan looked uncomfortable with her reactions as he rested his hand on her knee. With a glance at Charles, Logan decided it was time for a mental break.

"Come on, darlin'. Let's go grab a bite. We'll deal with training later," Logan told her quietly. He nodded to the professor and led her out without another backward glance. After they shared a late breakfast, K slipped away from him to their room while Scott discussed the mission run with Logan.

While K was alone, she pulled a bag from the bottom of the closet and started to quickly put her clothes into it. She was nearly done when Logan stepped into the room. He stood there, with the door open behind him, simply watching her as she worked.

"What're you doin' darlin'?" Logan asked with a frown, his voice rough. On seeing the little woman packing, a jab of panic hit him a lot harder than he could have anticipated. She glanced over her shoulder with a guilty look on her face but forced herself to continue.

"You'd be safer if I wasn't here," she said in a monotone as she stuffed in an extra shirt. "He'll do all he can to kill you and all of your friends. I'd rather not be the one to blame for that, if it's all the same to you."

Logan couldn't believe his ears, and with a frown, he took the bag out of her hands and tossed it on the bed. "You think I don't know that? What about  _you_? He comes after you and you're all alone, he'll do the same damn thing. I'm not gonna stand by and let that happen," he told her, his face stony.

K was just as unamused when she turned to face him properly. "I can't beat him. If he's going to kill me anyhow, I'd rather you didn't have to watch, okay?" She shrugged up both shoulders, hands out as if this was the most simple concept to grasp.

"Well,  _I'd_ rather he didn't kill you  _at all_ ," Logan growled out in response, as the two of them met gazes. But she broke the stare first as she let out all of her breath and wrapped her arms around herself. He didnt' wait for permission before he pulled her close, and with a crushing squeeze, he kissed her temple."I'm not going to lose you now," he mumbled.

She wasn't expecting him to be so insistent. Her arms found their way around his waist and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I guess, let's start training then," she said quietly, her tone a bit resigned.

* * *

Scott listened to what Logan had decided K's trouble with beating Creed was and integrated her program into another one he had prepared. He made the Creed scenario become a variable that would randomly show in any program that K or Logan was a part of running.

"This way, you will train on all the programs we normally use and hopefully it'll make it so we can add you to the team roster later on, if you're interested, that is," Scott explained, echoing the metal room as K shook out her arms and stretched. "You won't know when he'll pop up, or  _if_ he will. That should make it feel more realistic, and it should ready you for any situation that comes along. Sound good?"

K nodded, and with that nod, started her first session with Scott at the helm again. She wasn't sure what to expect from him, but she should have known. He was absolutely  _brutal_. He ran her full tilt boogie on programs designed for Logan.

The entire first session had no encounters with Sabretooth. At the end of her time, Logan and Scott were equally impressed by her performance. She could keep up. All the training she did under Logan's direction had her reacting every bit as quickly as him, but she still had to have some fine tuning done on her body count. She was still killing almost all of her opponents. By the end of her third session, Scott was as close to in love with the idea of her being on a team as anyone could be.

"Why did Jean quit trying with her?" Scott asked Logan in a completely bewildered tone as K continued to drop her assailants with deadly accuracy.

"Wasn't workin'," was all Logan had to say in explanation. "Think Charlie can do it?"

Scott considered the question while he watched her eviscerate a mercenary with a flick of her wrist. "I sure hope so. She'd be more apt for X-Force than the X-Men right now," Scott replied. "Start taking her on runs with you. See how it goes. Maybe you can teach her to restrain herself." Both men shared a look and smirked.

Down below, in the booth, K kept working, and very suddenly, it happened with no warning to either the girl in the room, or the men in the booth. Sabretooth appeared with a roar as he charged her. K stumbled as she tried to give herself some space and Creed missed her by a fine margin as she managed to stick him in the thigh, bending herself backwards as she avoided his slash, slicing through his femoral artery and painting herself red.

K righted herself and turned to face him – her intention to go for his throat. She cut him deep, but he got a hold of her arm and in a split second had sunk his claws in her throat in retaliation.

The simulation died, but not before K had been wounded severely. Logan was at her side quickly, holding his hands over her wound, as he gave her a chance to heal. He talked her through it, trying to keep her calm as he watched her knit herself together. When she felt she was healed, she rested her hand on his arm then sat up and asked Scott to start up again.

Logan shook his head no, but K stopped him with a kiss. "I have to be ready. This is how it gets done and  _that_ was an improvement, wasn't it?  _Yes_ , he took me down, but I took him with me."

"Not good enough," Logan said, shaking his head with a frown, making it crystal clear that he didn't like it one bit.

"Which is why she wants to keep going," Scott said from the booth. With a heavy sigh, Logan left her alone again as Scott started up a new simulation. The three of them worked until she physically couldn't go any further. When Logan took her out to for a bite, he mentioned something about the team trickling in, but she didn't quite understand it, since she  _thought_ that the team was already there.

"I've gotta go see Cap," Logan said with a trouble making smile. "Said he needed a hand with a little project. I should be back before the rest of the team gets here this weekend though."

"Sure, sure," K said with a wave. "Go play with the boys." She gave him a little kiss and before she woke up the next morning, he slipped out to meet up with Cap.

But when the usual time to wake up came along, K found herself face down in Logan's pillow, her hair covering the better part of her face as she glared at the clock. The only reason she stayed in bed as much as she did was because her bedmate was  _there_. With a soft growl, K pushed herself upright and started to get ready for her day.

She put on her running gear, and slipped on her shoes, and by the time she met Scott in the hall, he was smirking at her. "Hard to get up?"

"Hard to stay in bed," she argued.

"I thought for sure you were going to sleep in," Scott told her with a smirk. "You know. For a change."

She shook her head as she bumped him with her hip. "But that's only worth my time with company, oh, faithful hero."

"Alright, that's enough," he laughed as the two of them headed down the stairs to set off on their morning run. It had snowed the night before, dusting over the trail that they ran every morning, but that just meant that it was time for them to add in a few extra sections to their path. The rules were simple. Whoever was in the lead chose the route, so the two of them were competitive about who got to pick the trail.

They both liked to add in obstacles, but Scott's jumps were usually higher than K could manage without getting fancy about it, but when it was her turn, she would add in things that Scott couldn't do as easily either - like the section that she'd found a branch that held when she leapt up and used it as a launching point.

"Oh come on," Scott laughed before he took a few steps back and managed the launch, though he didn't go quite as far as she did.

"Still in the lead," she teased, turning away and rushing off down the trail, though she was wearing out and slowed so he could take over on the lead. Run together as much as they did, it was still his turf, and he knew where all the fun spots were.

When they got back, Scott put the coffee on and they both headed up to get ready for the day, but when K came back down the stairs, she quickly found she wasn't alone.

" _Guten Morgen._ " His voice was rich and filled with a delighted sort of tone as K turned to face the blue demon-like man with glowing yellow eyes and a broad, toothy grin.

" _Hallo,_ " K replied with a little smile as she slipped past him to pour herself some coffee. " _Möchtest du etwas Kaffee_?"

He turned to watch her, the grin widening as he leaned against the counter. " _Ja, bitte,_ " he replied, and she quickly poured him a cup and brought it to him on her way out of the kitchen to sit at the table, but not in the usual spot. K glanced up his way after she was situated, only to find him still smiling at her.

"It's not often that Xavier's picks up a woman that can speak  _Deutsche_ , and so clearly _._ May I join you?" he asked, though he didn't wait to make his way toward the table and sit right across from her, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

K glanced up and nodded her head at him. "Please," she said. "How could I say no to such a cheerful face?"

But that really only got a wider grin out of him somehow. "How indeed," he replied, almost as though he really was thinking it over. She didn't start anything but that didn't seem to be much of a deterrent for him. Finally, he extended his hand her way. "Kurt Wagner," he said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, K."

K kept her expression from shifting out of the sedate little smile she'd been wearing as she took the offered hand. "I suppose there aren't too many new girls around here are there?" she asked, and he simply shook his head lightly at her in response.

"So," he said, leaning forward. "How long do you plan to stay here at Xaviers?"

She smiled a bit wider, realizing that he was being fed information by someone, and she did not like being at such a disadvantage. But … from what she'd heard from Ororo, Kurt was always up for a little fun, games, and obviously, teasing. "Oh, you know how it is," she said easily. "Lost little mutant. Rehab here, then … who knows. I guess we'll see. There isn't a lot of use for me here."

His smile faltered for a moment before he recovered, though he had a small frown as he watched her. "Oh?" Kurt asked, shifting how he was seated. "I'm sure that's not the case." He waved his hand and resettled in. "Where are you from, may I ask? I'm from Bavaria, in Germany." He smiled almost playfully, still propping his head up, as his tail swayed lazily behind him.

She gave him a little smirk. "Upper Peninsula," she replied. "In Michigan."

He let his arm fall to the table as he gave her a semi-scandalized expression. "I give you a town, and you offer me an entire Peninsula in response, that doesn't seem fair, does it?"

She bit her lip, trying not to smile wider at his antics. "The town no longer exists," she told him. "So that's the best I can do."

His expression softened as he once again took on the appearance of one studying something. "How long has it been a ghost town? This mystery place?"

"Long enough," K replied as she drank her coffee.

"I was told you had some training to get to this morning," Kurt said. "So, in an act of good faith, I am prepared to offer my services," he said with a tip of his head and a presentation of his arms.

"Is that how Scott hands me off to someone else so he can work on … um. Whatever he's supposed to do?" she asked, nodding.

"He would never do such a thing," Kurt scoffed. "This is a friendly request to tag along, and play in the simulation. It's been a while."

She let out a breath. "I don't know that I can keep up with such a dashing troublemaker before my coffee is finished."

That at least, managed to get his grin back to full force. " _Lächerlich_ , that would be uncivilized," he replied, pointedly picking up his own cup, though he didn't take his eyes off her as she smiled at his overly dramatic reactions.

"Then, yes please," K said. "I'd love to spend a little time with the famous Nightcrawler."

"I take it my best friend has talked about me?" Kurt grinned.

"I've only heard good things from Storm," K said with a nod that had Kurt's eyes narrow for an instant.

"Only Storm?"

"She's the one that's spent some time filling me in on some of the team," K replied, nodding, but that only seemed to make him sputter for a moment.

As soon as they were both finished, Kurt wasted no time. "Time to get to work,  _ja_?"

" _Ja,_ " K agreed, which only had Kurt chuckling as he teleported across the table, pulled her to her feet and teleported again multiple times until they were in the center of the Danger Room. "I should have warned you, I like to take the shortcut."

When he set her on her feet, she couldn't see his face as she held onto his shoulders, dizzy and disoriented, though he simply kept an arm around her back until she started to level out. " _Sonofabitch_ ," K whispered, getting a wide grin out of Kurt.

"It can be a tad disorienting at first," he told her with an amused sort of tone as her hands curled up a hair tighter in the fabric at his shoulders. "Whenever you're ready to start,  _frauline._ "

"Do you do this to all the new people that come in?" K asked, trying to decide how to handle him.

"No," Kurt admitted before he called out a few codes and the room began to shift into an alien looking landscape. "Only the ones that are toying with Logan."

Her eyes opened and her grip lightened. "Who says I'm  _toying_ with him?"

Kurt smiled before he teleported across the room, reappearing high above her. "Then you're serious about him?" he asked, and K simply stared back at him but didn't get to answer before the attack began.

Kurt was having a blast, three swords drawn and cutting through Shi'ar royal guard, and shouting to K where she needed to stab them until a familiar roar echoed the room. Kurt startled, his tail straight out behind him.

"That's my problem," K called out to Kurt just a moment before Creed tackled her. He didn't hesitate to abandon the Shi'ar and rush to help, sending all three swords through Creed's back as K finally planted her feet in Creed's chest and pushed him away.

Kurt called out the kill code, worry etched on his features. "I'm sorry I don't know why it did that, he has no business around Shi'ar guards-"

"No, it's fine. It's part of the program Scott has worked around for me," K explained as Kurt pulled her to her feet again. "It's pretty par for the course, really."

"And he's  _making_ you do this?" Kurt asked, looking a bit alarmed still.

K shrugged. "I agreed to it, Logan approved it -"

"He  _what_?"

"It's okay, just … reset your program and I'll step out so it's not a factor," K offered, but Kurt was shaking his head. "Or … how about a nice, friendly spar? Easy to deal with? No … interference, from anything else. I could use some practice with swordwork, if you don't mind."

That got Kurt to relax slightly and with a sigh, he finally nodded his head and handed her one of his swords. "That I can do," he agreed.

The two of them fenced for quite a while, until K lost her sword and Kurt sheathed his in favor of teleporting her around the Danger Room a few times, just because he thought it was funny. "You get much more dizzy than Logan does. Is there any reason for that I should know about?" he teased. "I can perform a quick ceremony if need be."

K let out a disbelieving laugh as he held her upright, continuing to tease her on how she might be symptomatic from something. K drew in a few deep breaths, her eyes closed as she could practically feel Kurt grinning her way, until finally, she blew her breath out slipped out of his grip, stealing a sword as she did so.

But that really only got him in a better mood as the sword fight began.

The two of them continued to spar for a few minutes, with Kurt alternating between doing a little hand to hand with her, or teleporting her a few times to get her dizzy enough to not stand up properly until Scott finally broke it up.

"Alright, come on, Kurt, we have a little mission to run, you can finish interrogating her later," Scott called out, and Kurt's shoulders visibly dropped as he swore a string of curses in German.

He looked over to K, grabbed her arm, pulled her close then teleported her up to Logan's room and kissed the back of her hand. "I'm sure I'll see you later. It was a pleasure to meet you,  _K,_ " Kurt said, once again disappearing in a plume of smoke, but at least the bed was nearby.

* * *

When Logan showed up finally, he barely got into the door before Kurt appeared less than a foot from his face in a cloud of brimstone. "You didn't tell me  _anything_ about her," he accused.

"Hi, Elf," Logan said tiredly. "You settled in yet?" He took a step to go around Kurt but that was stopped when his old friend punched him in the shoulder.

" _You didn't tell me anything about her,_ " Kurt repeated, looking more betrayed. "I had to hear about her from  _Katzchen!_ "

Logan stared at him straight faced.

"Stop that," Kurt said seriously. "I don't need the poker face from hell. I need  _details._ "

"Well I could use a drink," Logan replied, and Kurt grinned widely.

"With or without your lovely lady friend?"

"How about we catch up a little bit first," Logan suggested, but Kurt just started to chuckle before he pulled Logan into a hug.

"This is  _wunderbar,_ " he said. "You're trying to protect her from me - you've already _failed_ , but the sentiment is charming nonetheless."

Logan let out a breath and rested his arm across Kurt's shoulders. "What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing! Why would you suggest such a thing?" The two of them shared a look for a long moment, with Kurt grinning ever wider the longer it lasted. "I am only looking for a drink or two with you tonight. I see no reason to leave her  _waiting_ for you."

But that got a smirk out of Logan, and it wasn't long before he was outright grinning alongside him as the two old friends headed off to Logan's office to drink.

* * *

The following morning, Kurt was much more subdued than he'd been the day before, and instead of quizzing either of the two ferals, he just smiled sloppily at them while the three of them had coffee.

Of course, K didn't realize what kind of a big deal Scott had planned for them until after she'd finished her coffee and the group pulled together, all dressed in uniforms and ready to practice. He turned his attention to K and led her to the side to have a word before they started.

"If you're going to be part of the team, you'll have to learn how to work with everyone. Today, you'll be with  _my_ team. We'll be doing a simple game of capture the flag." He picked his head up to address the rest of the group as K slipped back over to Logan.

"No powers, everyone," Scott said with a grim smile. "And no claws, either of you," he added as he looked pointedly at Logan, who grunted in response. K took her place next to Logan as the rest of their team came to stand with them. It was set to be Scott leading with Beast, Wolverine, Psylocke, Gambit and Rogue against Storm's team with Jean, Colossus, Iceman, Angel, Bishop, Kitty and Nightcrawler.

But that didn't stop the powerless battle from being total pandemonium. While the rest of Scott's team was tied up holding off Storm's team, K broke away and made the last dash for their flag.

As soon as she'd snatched it up she ended up getting captured by Nightcrawler, who was the first to break the no powers rule. And did so completely unapologetically with a wide grin as he scooped her up.

As soon as he'd gotten K to their side, she held tight to him, cursing in Swedish. Kurt immediately apologized, and switched the one arm snatch into a little hug. "You're still not getting the flag back,  _Frauline_ , though I truly am sorry for as dizzy as you are from it. Unless of course … it's something else?"

K picked her head up off of his shoulder and dropped. In one motion, she pulled hard on him and kicked his feet out - throwing him over herself as she went down to the ground. "Ooops, that … can happen from time to time," she replied, but naturally, Kurt teleported to a point that he regained his footing.

With a grin, he disappeared, and just before he reappeared, K caught a whiff of brimstone and simply turned to punch - and laid him out cold before she snatched the flag out of his hand and made a mad dash for Scott's base.

Kitty abandoned her tousle with Gambit and ran towards Kurt, alarmed that perhaps K had broken the no claws rule. She knelt down next to the fuzzy Elf intending to help him as he started to wake up. Still a little punch drunk, he pointed out his assailant as K ran hard, flag in hand and Colossus on her tail. She was nearly into her team's turf when Bobby quickly iced up the ground in front of her. Her feet went out from under her and she fell flat on her face with Colossus falling over her. At first, he pinned her down unintentionally. But he shook his head hard and reached for their flag to return to their base when K started fighting back.

She kept to the no claws rule, but twisted herself around in ways that neither Scott or Logan had ever seen. She managed to wiggle herself out from under him and quickly broke into a run again.

Logan was so blindsided by her escape he simply stood there watching her run until she squeaked when Angel swooped in and took her airborne. Her sudden ascent caused her to drop the flag in the process. Angel set her down gingerly with a smile in their 'prisoners' section alongside Gambit, who'd been caught just a few minutes earlier.

In the end, Scott's team won by a fine margin when Psylocke snatched up the dropped flag and handed it off to Rogue who flew it to their base. Only Scott mentioned the rampant rule breaking.

As she looked around the group with a smile, K found Logan talking with Piotr. She waited where she was, and apologized to Kurt them while they chatted – still showing a plain aversion to interrupting anyone's private conversations.

"I didn't mean to hit you quite that hard," K promised, but Kurt was shaking his head at her with a wry smile.

"It was a good hit," he had to admit. "You'll have to make it up to me. Whiskey? Perhaps?"

"You've got it," she swore. Their conversation was cut short however, when Logan and Piotr walked up to where she was sitting against a tree with Kurt and Kitty, both of whom were joking around about her left hook.

"Pretty impressive moves you had there, darlin'. Didn't think you could get away from Petey like that," Logan commented as he lit up a cigar. Piotr was smiling at her and Kurt murmured something in German that had K shaking her head at him.

"You have a wildcat, Logan," Piotr said with a grin while K waited for the ball to drop. It sounded a little too contrived.

"Yes, and  _sie ist ein Kämpfer_ ," Kurt added with a grin as Kitty snickered next to him muttering something about 'viciousness'.

"Pete has agreed to help us," Logan told her.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "With what?" K asked, trying hard to ignore Kitty's grin.

"With your training. Think you can break that pin again?" Logan asked.

K shook her head slowly. "I don't know how I did it that time," she admitted with a little laugh.

"You'll get it. This was for fun, and you were even smiling when you broke loose," Kitty commented. "I was watching while Kurt was laughing at the two of you and trying to  _stop bleeding._ " K wasn't sure what to make of it, but agreed to try.

* * *

They didn't give her any time to rest either. In addition to team training, she began to learn wrestling from the massive Russian. He would pin her in the manner of his choosing then she would try to get up with his coaching. When that  _never_  worked, she'd just start trying to get out in her own fashion.

K didn't have clue one as to what she was doing, but seemed to be alright when she wasn't scared or nervous. Logan was the one that figured that bit out when during a team session in the danger room, the random Creed attack happened just after the fight with the MRD was over with.

It took the team off guard as they were used to seeing Sabretooth go for Logan or one of the telepaths. And after it hadn't happened in over a week, K had forgotten about him popping up randomly and it both startled and scared her. The same pin she'd kicked her way out from under Colossus the day before suddenly didn't work with Creed. As Logan rushed to help her, he realized she was stiffening up. Which meant now she had to work on relaxing the next time Creed popped up and pinned her.


	19. The Best Things In Life

Jubilee was sitting on the couch with Chloe and Zoe, munching on popcorn and in a totally bad mood. The girls didn't seem to notice though. She'd been angry since self defense class two days ago.

Usually it was her favorite class because her favorite teacher was running it. However, class went badly and even ended early after she hit Logan in the face with an unusually large plasmoid, causing him to turn away from the class while he bled on his boots and regrew a section of his face. He'd given her detention in the form of running with him at five AM for the next week as punishment for breaking the parameters of the exercise.

"Jubes, didn't you hear me?" Chloe asked, looking at her expectantly. Jubilee glowered at her and shook her head. "Aren't you excited about the camping trip?" Chloe asked with an enthusiastic grin.

" _Ugh_. No. Why would I be?" Jubes replied, still angry at everything. Logan had pushed her hard that morning all the way to the point that she was ready to paff him again just to make him leave her alone. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the weekend after her punishment lifted in the dirty, frozen woods with him and his freakin'  _likeable_ girlfriend as they lived off nuts and berries and squirrels for two days.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to  _ace_ this," Zoe said smugly, convinced that K had prepared them thoroughly in their months long trek through the northwoods.

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "You two have no idea what you're in for. Wolvie's running this show, there is no way it's going to be  _fun_. He's still mad at me," She pouted as she thought to herself  _and I'm not going to get any time with him._

She'd gone to his room to try and apologize, just two hours ago and before she could knock, she could hear his voice, and he wasn't happy.  _Craptastic_. That meant he was in there with  _her_ , and from the tone she heard, they were having an argument.  _Perfect_. Foul mood predicted for the week with a high chance of a rotten weekend while he took it out on the teenagers in the woods.

Unless … unless they broke up and he opted to disappear for a month or six. She groaned at the thought. Yeah. Like that was any better.

When Jean came into the game room twenty minutes later and posted up a single sheet of paper on the cork board, the girls shared a confused look. It wasn't time for any big tests to be posted. They got up and read it before Jean had even cleared the room.

It was their supply list for the survival trip. Jubilee frowned as the sisters took note.  _Since when had Logan ever allowed supplies on a survival trip?_  She skimmed over the list and went straight to the bottom –  _Scott_ was running this trip. She was stunned. Wolvie  _never_ missed a chance to run the winter survival weekend. It was his  _element_. He  _loved_ it. With a frown, Jubilee rushed after Jean and called for her to stop.

"Something wrong, Jubilation?" Jean asked as she turned to look at her.

"Yeah, what gives? Why's Cyke running it this year? That's  _Wolvies'_ trip!" Jubilee protested her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Jean smiled at her kindly and tried very hard not to tease her. "I thought you were mad at him," Jean said, frowning. The little Asian girl had  _just_ been projecting about how angry she was over the trip happening  _at all_  just minutes before. Now she was mad that Logan, who she was actively avoiding, and Jean knew for a fact that Jubilee hadn't planning on going at all.

"Well … so what if I was," Jubes said as the steam went out of her sails. "Doesn't matter. This is his trip. He loves it. No one's going to learn anything singin' kumbaya with Scott."

Jean bit her lip to keep from laughing outright and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, blatantly ignoring the jab at her husband. "Logan has had other business spring up that will likely need his attention this week. I don't know that he'll be done in time to run the trip. Just hope that it goes well for him. I'm sure he'll talk to you about it sooner rather than later,"Jean told her in an attempt to try and reassure her. All it did was confuse her further.

* * *

The couple was curled up in bed with no plans to go anywhere. They were perfectly happy where they were, as Logan rested his head on K's shoulder. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and wondered what he was thinking. Words were not their strong suit, and an argument over the Sabretooth simulation had turned heated in entirely different ways.

She didn't like to argue like that with people. If anyone pushed her that hard, she'd always just let them think they won and cut out the back door. But this time, she pushed to get him to see her viewpoint and it had ended, after a brief growling match, in declarations from both sides. She couldn't remember who had said those three little words first. But it didn't really matter. Her stomach knotted the more that she thought about it. She was not the girl that fell for someone. Certainly not this fast. Of course, she'd  _have_  to fall for the one guy with the sterling reputation of  _not_ getting too involved with anyone.  _Karma's a bitch,_ she thought to herself as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Very carefully, he started kissing his way up her neck. She tipped her head back to give him easier access when he stopped at her throat and kissed it gently, pausing for just a moment before he continued his way up her throat when something very unexpected happened.

"Marry me," he said quite clearly between light kisses. It took a second, but her eyes popped open and she froze while he continued as if nothing had happened. She blinked hard and simply thought she was hearing things. But then as she'd brushed the thought from her mind, he said it again while he kissed her behind the ear and started to work his way down her jawline towards her chin. She shifted in his arms and tried to look at him, but he simply continued as if nothing had happened. Clearly he was enjoying himself as her mind and heart raced. He nipped sharply at her neck and said it again, with a bit more of a growl in his voice.

She finally grabbed him by the ears and pulled him off her neck to look him in the eyes. "Did you just -" she started to ask in pure disbelief as he met eyes with her and cut her off.

"Marry me." His tone was warm, the growl gone as he looked her in the eyes. Neither of them moved for what felt like an unreasonably long stretch of time.

"Are you  _serious_?" K whispered. She was sure she'd gone into shock. She couldn't feel anything that wasn't touching him.

"Don't make me ask again," he said, not moving a muscle, and straight faced.

"Okay," she breathed out, surprised he'd asked and just as shocked that she'd just agreed. He grinned as he kissed her again before simply picking up where he left off.

* * *

Logan found Jubilee in the gym, going through her routine on the balance beam. She'd seen him come in but purposely ignored him. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed as he waited for her to finish, watching her move seamlessly from one move to the next.

When she finally flipped off the beam, she stuck her landing perfectly and he couldn't help but smile at her. But it was the smile that really threw her off.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked bluntly as she towelled off the sweat from her workout. She had her suspicions, but still didn't want to picture him ... no. Eew. Not going there.

"Well, for one, you really nailed that flip," he told her as he uncrossed his arms and pulled out a cigar, smirking, as he walked toward her.

She stared at him with her hands on her hips as she waited for whatever his sick twisted mind had concocted for her next punishment session for taking herself off the survival trip roster.

"Saw you're not going on the trip this weekend," he said with a bit of interest.

 _Yep,_ She thought to herself.  _Knew it. Here we go, following leadership blah blah._

"So seein' as you're not busy preppin' for that, I was thinkin' you could help me out with a special little project this afternoon," he said. His eyes twinkled and the smile was still easy to see.

It took her completely off guard. "Wait, what?" she said suspiciously, not sure at all what he was up to. "What do you need  _my_  help for?"

"Do you trust me?" he asked. She nodded, determined to make sure he believed she did. "Can you be ready to go in half an hour?"

Jubilee blinked off her confusion. "Well, yeah, but where are we going?" She asked. She didn't know what to think when he told her they were going shopping.

* * *

When Logan took her into a jewelry store, Jubilee's eyes popped open. She looked at him warily.

" _Whaaat_  are we doing  _here_?" Jubilee asked him, nervous as she looked around the place like she was waiting for a snake to pop out and bite her.

"Two things," Logan said. "For one, your birthday present is ready, and you have to make sure I got the size right."

Her mouth dropped open as he led her to the counter where the sales girl was opening a ring box. He'd gotten her a beautiful little sapphire ring that she'd looked at the last time she'd dragged him through the mall  _months ago._

She slipped it on her right hand and was pleasantly surprised when it fit perfectly, and overwhelmed that he'd  _remembered_. It was all the more impressive when she realized he'd guessed her size. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Any anger she might have had toward him was gone when she realized how long he'd been planning her birthday present.

He chuckled as she squeezed him.

"Oh, Wolvie, it's perfect – thank you so much!" She was beaming as she stared at it on her hand, still in disbelief. "I can't believe you remembered!"

"I'm going to assume that wasn't a joke about my memory, ya little smart ass. Good to hear you still like it. I know it's a little early." He chuckled and tipped his head toward the counter. "But now, time for other things. Don't really need help as much as I thought you'd want to go."

The shop girl was smiling at them and had two large jewelry boxes now sitting on the display case. Jubilee walked up to the cases warily. When the shop girl opened them up, she gasped and whipped around to face her mentor.

"You're asking her to marry you?" she whispered.

Logan shrugged and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "Kinda already did," he admitted. He couldn't help but grin. It was the right move to bring her along just for the moment when her face and her mouth dropped. "Just need a ring for her now."

Jubes screamed and threw herself at him again, nearly knocking him off balance that time as she hugged him. She was practically hyperventilating. "You want  _me_  to help you? What – why? Didn't Kurt want to go? Or Kitty? Why didn't you bring K?" she asked in a rush.

He just shook his head. "Kurt is already on board, and is stuck between being best man or running the ceremony. I didn't ask Kitty, and K doesn't know what I'm up to. I wanted  _you_  with me for this," he told her.

She kissed him on the cheek and he had to redirect her to the rings again. She poured over the selections and dismissed the most flashy ones right away, not that he needed her guidance there. Anything that was too high profile was dismissed as well.

"These are gorgeous, but too flashy," Jubilee reasoned.

"That'd catch on her blue jeans anyhow," Logan pointed out, getting a broad grin from her.

"I didn't think about that, but you're totally right," Jubilee said, then turned to stick a finger in his face. "You don't need my help at all, do you?" He chuckled and shook his head, but she grinned and went right back to it. He let her narrow it down to twenty or so different rings, Logan stepped in and made the final choice.

Jubilee was over the moon. The engagement was still pretty secret. Just the couple, Jubilee, and Kurt. She was buzzing about it as they left the jewelry store. Jubilee pushed for details on how he asked her. Dying already to hear a sweet, romantic story … but she should have known better. She grinned like a cheshire cat when he paused, then refused to tell her. Though his official story was that he asked her and she said yes.

She teased him mercilessly until he threatened to make her go camping with Scott. That got her to quit, though she smiled the rest of the way back as she hugged his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Jubilee skipped up to Jean and K who were having tea with Charles in the dining room, excited to show off her new ring. K complemented her taste and Jubilee couldn't contain herself as she rushed in to give K a huge hug that stunned her as she looked to Jean and Charles for explanation as to why the teenager was suddenly so affectionate to her.

"Alright then," K said as she stood up. "On that note, I'm off. Thanks for the tea, but I need some air." She headed for the garage as she looked for something to do or somewhere to go. Naturally, she found Logan there working on his Harley with Kurt. When she walked in, Logan was in the middle of hooking the battery back up and Kurt was checking fluid levels as the two of them chatted.

"Ah, here she is," Kurt said with a grin. "I should leave you two for a moment." He gave Logan a look and then disappeared in a swirl of smoke.

Logan shook his head and looked up as K approached, greeting her with a kiss as soon as she was close enough. When he let her go, it was clear that she was longingly staring at the bike. "You taking it out?" she asked.

He nodded with a fond smile as he tightened down the terminals. "Mid winter thaw, roads are ice free, gotta let her wake up a little," he replied as he worked. "You wanna join me?"

She grinned but immediately shook her head no. "No, well – yeah," she said as she wrinkled her brow.

He stopped his work and looked up at her. "Well, which is it?"

She shrugged, unsure herself. Logan watched her for a moment before he finished replacing the seat in it's proper spot and turned the fuel on then swung his leg over it. He took a breath, turned the key, and hit the starter switch for it to turn over but … it didn't catch. He choked it, tried again and on the second try, it roared to life. The two of them shared a grin as the roar echoed the garage.

Logan worked the throttle while K opened the garage door and he let the bike warm up. When it was running well he dismounted- his plan to give it time to get good and warmed up before he took it out. He handed her a leather jacket which she quickly slipped on, grinning at the whole scene.

She looked longingly at the bike as it ran. It's throaty rumble made her smile.

He watched her for a moment longer then leaned in and gave her a kiss. She was still smiling at him when the kiss ended. A few minutes later, when the bike was good and warm, he motioned for her to hop on. She hesitated and lightly shook her head. He took a deep breath and leaned in so he wouldn't have to shout over the roar of the bike.

"Go on. Take her out. You've been wanting to do it since you saw it," he said with a smile as she realized what he was doing. She grinned and kissed him hard. He swatted her when the kiss broke then leaned over her shoulder as she got on to tell her the best route for this time of year. She didn't wait to be told twice.

She eased out of the garage and took note of the droves of students in the windows – she didn't  _know_ it was a winter ritual for the kids to take bets on Logan taking the bike out on days like this.

Most of the ice was off the road, and though it was still patchy ice in spots, and slick here and there with rock salt and sand scattered all over the road, a better excuse to ride wouldn't come for another few months.

The new and inexperienced students would bet on whether or not Logan would dump the bike, even though the leather on his jacket and the paint on the bike were their only measure of if it had happened or not. They were all clearly shocked when they realized it wasn't him on his Harley.

As soon as she'd gotten on the driveway, she poured it on and the back tires threw rocks as she went. She hesitated just a second at the end of the drive before she pulled out onto the road and really let it open up.

Logan lit a cigar as he leaned in the open garage door, figuring he'd keep an ear out.

* * *

K was over the moon. It was frigid cold, but her jacket cut the wind down substantially. Her hands were frozen around the grips on the handlebars, but the heat off the engine actually warmed her legs up a little bit. When she got to the spot Logan said to turn around, she downshifted as she approached.

The bike was handling beautifully. She couldn't help herself when she turned to head back and peeled out as she got back on the road. She pushed it as she enjoyed the feel of it as it flew along the road.

When she returned to the Institute, the image of Logan leaning in the garage door, cigar in hand and smiling at her as she pulled up was a welcome one. She put it in neutral and made to get off when he motioned to just scoot back. She didn't hesitate and once he was in his rightful spot, she pressed herself against him tightly as soon as he got comfortable. He was smirking when he took off with her, the engine positively screaming as they left the driveway.

When they got back  _hours_ later, Scott was waiting for them, sure that this time Logan had dumped it. The two little ferals laughed as they walked in and dispelled his concerns entirely until he realized that both of them had scraped up leathers. In a bit of nerves, he made his way over and stuck his head in the garage. When he saw the damage on the bike he couldn't quite believe they had driven it back.

"What the hell happened?" Scott asked, still in shock that Logan had actually dropped it.

"Someone distracted me," he growled out. K smiled and shook her head.

"Don't blame it on me, mister. Besides, It was low speed," K said as she waved him off and Scott gaped while Kurt fell to pieces laughing.

Scott simply tried to get a handle on things with Kurt regaling an overly dramatic telling of what had to have happened as Logan pulled K with him to their room. She started to peel off her clothes and Logan frowned at the bloodied spots on her jeans.

When she stood up straight, Logan pulled her around to kiss her. He peeled her hands off him as they kissed, and slipped the ring he'd bought onto her finger. She broke the kiss when she felt the ring and pulled her head back, as she stared at it.

"What did - you didn't have to do this for  _me,_ " she said, her voice barely there, as she looked back to his crooked smile. "You didn't need to do that for me."

"Of course I did. You like it, or should we exchange it for something else?" he asked quietly as he tipped his head to watch her. She floundered in response as she stared at the ring on her hand.

"It's … perfect," she told him numbly until he took her hand in his and kissed her again. "I don't have anything for you."

"I get you," he whispered with a little growl in her ear. "That's all I want."

"Well you …  _you_ got ripped off, pal," she laughed as she came back to her senses. He gave her a low growl and let her pull away long enough to take her shower, then rushed to get dressed in the last halfway respectable outfit she owned as he cleaned up.

When he walked out of the shower, he was pleasantly surprised. She had put on a dress and was in the middle of slipping into a pair of heels. Her hair was in a simple but elegant updo and a shimmer of gloss drew his attention to her lips. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared openly.

"What's with the dress?" he asked as his eyes rested on her legs and she turned to look at him with a little blush.

"Jean popped in while you were in the shower. She said to put a dress on. She's insisting on taking me shopping. My wardrobe has been – decreasing since I got it. She said I don't have a thing that looks wearable anymore." K took a step toward him with an eyebrow raised before she twirled. She let the skirt fly out and showed off a bit more leg. "Looks like she's right. This looks ..."

"Great," he finished for her.

She stopped her self deprecating teasing and looked back at him. "Please," she scoffed as she turned back to the mirror to criticize herself quickly. She wasn't sure she could take a compliment from him when she looked so … out of her usual comfort zone. It had been a long time since she'd worn a dress, of all things.

Logan stepped up behind her and put his arms around her waist before kissing her neck. "How come I haven't seen you in a dress before?" he asked as he pulled her back into his chest.

She rested a hand on his arm and leaned into him a little. "This is all I have left. I trashed all the jeans that I had. That ..." she said as she nodded to the shredded blue jeans next to his. "… was my last pair. I don't have any other options. It's this or naked, though naked doesn't sound too bad," she said with one eyebrow raised while her hand ran across his arm. He kept kissing her, then began to rub his cheek on her shoulder as she leaned back.

"You know, I don't  _have_  to go anywhere. I'm sure they could grab some new jeans for me," she said as she turned to kiss him. Logan smiled and began to push her back toward the dresser when Jean knocked.

"Knock it off you two. Come on, K. We have to get going," Jean said in a no nonsense tone.

Logan weighed his options as he rested his chin on K's shoulder. With a growl, he straightened up and took a few steps back.

"Better run, darlin'. Before I change my mind," he told her. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face and leaned into him for a kiss. In a heartbeat, he was clenching his fists in the fabric at the back of her dress until the kiss broke.

"Go on. Get more skirts," he growled out. She pecked him on the cheek and he nipped at her as she rushed out the door.

Jean rolled her eyes at him as he watched K walk away. Halfway down the stairs, Jean realized K had actually dressed as requested. "Wait. You're in a dress." K nodded and kept walking. "Are you in heels?" Jean asked as she took in the details on the little brunette's outfit. K just gave her an  _'mmm hmm'_  as they hit the bottom of the stairs.

Betsy was waiting for them, as was Kitty. It was Betsy that did a double take on seeing a sparkle from K's left hand. She chose how to break it to the rest of them and simply stopped the little woman and looked her over appraisingly, a small smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

K groaned at their stares and finally tossed her hands up. "What is the big freakin' deal here?" she asked, one arm across her waist. "You're all dressed the same as me – only taller and better looking."

"You really look nice – I mean, your  _legs_!" Kitty said, smiling.

Jean nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, we can keep you. Since you clean up so nicely, that is. We just need to work on your makeup," Jean said as she pulled out a tube of mascara and stepped forward.

K reached up to grab Jean's wrist. "Woah. Now wait just a damn minute. I don't need any makeup, lady, and if I did – I'd need my own colors – not yours."

Betsy reached over and grabbed K's wrist to diffuse Jean. "Such a pretty ring – where did it come from I wonder," Betsy said as she smiled from ear to ear at the little brunette. Jean nearly dropped everything in her hands and Kitty pushed Betsy out of the way for a better look.

"Oh my god," Kitty said quietly as K pulled her hand back.

"Alright, knock it off! Convince me to go, or I'm headed back upstairs," K threatened.

"No you won't," Jean said with total confidence. "You actually need the clothes and I know for a fact if you go back into that room right now that dress won't be wearable. And it took me over an hour to find one that would look this good on your short little self without you with me to try them on."

The color in K's cheeks rose up as Kitty rushed forward and gave her a tight, warm hug, laughing as she did so. "I'm so happy for you two!" Kitty said with a grin. Now that she knew that the little feral  _couple_ had figured things out, she didn't want to let Logan's fiancee go. K hesitantly hugged her back, not sure what to say.

They hurried out, and waited until they were well on their way to the stores before Betsy began quizzing her on details. Unfortunately, Logan's bride to be was either unable or unwilling to answer most of her questions.

They rushed the trip out and tried to hurry her back, both for her sake and theirs. The more they pushed for details, the more resistant she got. Kitty and Betsy got it right away, very used to similar reactions from Logan when he decided it wasn't anyone's business.

When they got back, Kitty volunteered to help her take her bags up – there weren't many, but she wanted an excuse to congratulate Logan.

Kitty rushed ahead with the bags and left K to deal with Jean and Betsy who had already gotten all of the women in the mansion to gather on their arrival and accost her over her new jewelry and standing with their favorite resident feral.

Kitty knocked then walked through the door to find Logan fully clothed and on the floor meditating. She dropped K's bags near the bed and waited patiently for him to acknowledge her.

When he looked her way, she threw herself at him, much like Jubilee had and hugged him as hard as she could and kissed his cheek. "I really like her, Logan. You two are going to be great together, and I promise I'll babysit for you," Kitty said much to Logan's amusement.

He kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly. "Don't go makin' any plans, half pint. There's plenty of time for that," he told her.

* * *

Frustrated, K finally made it in the room. Her hair was starting to come undone from all the hugs and well wishes she'd gotten downstairs. She looked exhausted. "That was worse than wrestling Colossus," K said, to Kitty's laughter. Kitty gave her a quick hug then ran through the door as K started putting things away. She'd gotten almost nothing but wranglers and a wide assortment of tops, which was what Logan had honestly expected of her.

She was nearly done when Jean knocked on the door. Unbeknownst to K, Jean had gotten two more bags worth of things for her. The telepath projected to her for a moment as K started to take her shoes off and relax, but Logan couldn't stop himself from interrupting them only for a second. He flung his arm out to catch her attention.

"Go away, Jeannie," he rumbled out before he stalked over to K, who was suddenly watching him warily.

Jean excused herself quickly and stepped outside. She leaned on the other side of the door slightly afraid to leave K with him while he was in a borderline feral state. But Jean jumped as K screamed with laughter as he picked her up, growling. Jean started to laugh, quickly walking away, not wanting to eavesdrop on them once she knew all was well. "I'm going to miss that dress," Jean muttered in a laugh. "It was perfect on her."


	20. Horsin' Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K finds her place at the mansion.

Chloe and Zoe finally got brave after the news broke of their friend's new engagement. The two sisters hadn't had much of a chance to talk to K, let alone discuss what had been going on with the rumor mill around the mansion with her and their self defense and combat teacher.

But the girls finally found a chance to approach the pair of them while the ferals had coffee one morning. Chloe cleared her throat to catch their attention even as Logan had his nose buried in K's hair. The couple stopped their flirting to look up at the sisters, K clearly open minded about whatever the girls might have to say, while Logan was clearly irritated that they'd interrupted his attempt at sweet talking her into a day off alone in the woods.

"So, I know you guys are like – super busy training and everything, but is there any way we can see you a little, K? Spend some time with you?" Chloe said finally, almost cringing as she expected an instant 'no'.

"We just got done with our midterms, we've missed you. A lot." Zoe said honestly.

K had to smirk to herself. Clearly, the girls were starting to grow up a little bit. Logan sat back in his chair, watching the sisters as he rested his hand at the small of K's back. K turned to look at Logan before grinning at him a moment. "Yeah. That sounds nice. We can go whenever you're ready. Logan was just saying I needed a day off." K grinned at him as his entire expression fell.

"Now wait a damned minute, that's not -"

"When you're right, you're right, babe. Will you be free tonight or do I need to get another date for a walk after dark?" K said, cutting him off.

He narrowed his eyes at her and started to growl, the sound chilling the sisters to the bone as K smiled wider. He pulled her closer for a rough kiss. "Be back by six, or I'll come after ya." he growled out "and you know  _damn well_  I wasn't pushin' for you to go on a flamin' shopping trip, woman."

He sounded menacing to the girls, who were all the more perplexed at K's delighted grin. She leaned into him, whispering something in his ear as she ran her hand into his hair. His hand wrapped around her wrist and his eyebrow went up as she continued to whisper to him. The growl ceased and he turned his head to her. She had a wide eyed almost innocent look on her face as he considered her words.

"You know you play awfully damned dirty, right?" he said quietly. She just stared back at him until he let out a breath. "Alright. I'll be waiting – patiently as I know how," he said finally, almost in a purr before she kissed him again – this time looking much more relaxed when the kiss ended. His smile, rare to those outside of his inner circle, surprised the girls, more so when he finally broke his focus from K to turn toward the sisters, the grin slowly slipping off as he told them to be careful.

"I want a com link on every one of ya," he said before he turned to K, pulling her closer again. "Take my jeep." He gave her one final little kiss behind the ear and let out a sigh. "Any sign of trouble, you call for help, got it?" K nodded and looked to the girls, who followed suit. They were almost out the door when Jubilee caught them climbing into Logan's jeep.

"Hey! Where are you three headed? Anywhere fun?" Jubilee asked.

"Going to spend a little time shopping. Logan is free if you don't want to go with," Zoe offered getting a broad smile from the firecracker.

"I think I'll try to catch him, if it's alright with you guys. Have fun!" she said, running back into the house looking for him.

* * *

The girls were tickled to spend time with K, even if Logan's plans for her had nothing at all to do with shopping or people or well, anything but the two of them alone. K was smiling to herself a little as she played with her iced coffee, sitting with the sisters.

"He never smiles unless he's with you." Chloe said, finally deciding to break the ice.

K rolled her eyes. "That can't be true," she said, one eyebrow raised.

"It is. I asked Jubilee. It's like super rare for him to do anything but frown and snarl and glare. Unless  _you're_ nearby," Zoe replied, her nose in the air a bit, though it was clear she was trying to tease her.

"So what did you tell him to get him to simmer down anyhow? Did you promise some kinky twisted stuff or what?" Chloe asked suddenly, K stared wide eyed at her out of character invasive question. That was much more  _Zoe's_ speed.

"That is so not something I'm answering for you girls."

"So that's a yes. Just curious as to what his kink is. Seems like he'd be a pretty intense," Chloe said offhandedly.

Even Zoe was surprised by her sister's frank and terribly  _interesting_ question. K stared at them in disbelief for a moment longer before she let out a grumble and closed her eyes. This was worse than when his girls questioned her on Logan.

"Ooh. I got it. Let's get you something sexy to wear!" Chloe said, her face lighting up. Zoe in total agreement. "Something lacy."

"No, no. Something like a dominatrix. I'll bet that's what he'd like." Zoe said the pair looking devious.

"No way. No. Even if I would wear something …like that," K said, looking entirely unamused. "I would not let you two –  _who have been like my baby sisters_  – pick out my next outfit to be shredded."

"So … he likes to cut your clothes off. No surprise there." Zoe said.

K's expression went entirely dead. "Really. That's what you take from that? You my dear are a pervert. Come on, this shopping trip is at an end." K said, shaking her head. "Lets go girls."

"No! Not yet …. I have to get a new book – I finished the books you guys got me last time. Please? Just give me a few more minutes in the book store?" Chloe begged, her hands under her chin as she looked entirely worthy of sympathy until finally K relented.

"I'll be right here. I've had it with the shopping already." K replied as the sisters both jumped up, leaving their bags with her as they rushed off toward the bookstore. K returned to her coffee, watching people as she waited for the girls' return.

Zoe kept glancing over her shoulder the closer they got to the bookstore, but Chloe was sure that her sister had lost her ever-lovin' mind.

"What the hell are you doing, Zoe?" Chloe said quietly as her sister pulled her into the shop.

"Go pick up the next two books – I'm going to get something for K.," Zoe replied with a wicked grin as she tipped her head to the lingerie store down the way.

But Chloe wasn't stupid enough to just go along with it. "No. Freakin' way." Chloe said flatly. "Because I was only picking on her.  _She'd kill us_!"

"Yes. But see … he's mad at us now for spoiling his day.  _I just know it._  But ... how mad is he going to be if she keeps him busy all weekend? Monday's combat class won't be a torture test if he's happy, right?" Zoe replied, rushing down to the little boutique two doors down from the bookstore.

"Zoe,  _no_ ," Chloe said miserably as she followed her and the two made a mad dash through the shop, finally settling on something that looked like it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility for K to wear, though Chloe had forced Zoe to put back some things that she frankly, couldn't figure out.

They got out of the boutique quickly, rushing into the bookstore to grab a few books, and being sure to ask the cashier for a bigger bag than necessary so they could stash their surprise for K.

They were giggling madly when they returned to her. K knew they were up to something. She just didn't have a facial reference for what was going on between the two sisters. "What took so long?" she asked as she got to her feet and picked up several bags and the girls rushed to do the same.

"Cute cashier." Zoe said, grinning as she distractedly tried to rearrange her things.

K looked over her shoulder, spotting a very pretty girl behind the counter in the bookstore. "Really? You like girls now, Zo?" K asked as Zoe blushed.

Zoe had grasped to find a valid excuse so quickly that she didn't filter herself. It wasn't a  _lie_ and her sister was grinning widely at her. Chloe had known for years Zoe preferred girls, she just … never had come outright and said it to an adult. On realizing what she'd blurted out, Zoe blushed brightly, but stopped when she saw the smirk K was wearing.

"Did you at least get her number?" K asked, staring at her expectantly.

Zoe's mouth dropped open as she shook her head no.

K looked at the girls a moment in utter disbelief then strutted over to the bookstore. The girls didn't hear what she said, too terrified in that moment to move when K pointed them out to the pretty little blonde behind the counter, smiling as she waved at the sisters.

" _No_. What is she doing?" Zoe said, blushing again as the little counter girl did the same. The blonde looked taken back, then waved at Zoe shyly, a huge grin in her face before she turned to K and scribbled something on a piece of paper, then handed it to K and waved at Zoe again before she shyly headed to the back of the store.

K strutted back to the girls, smirking and ignoring the pack of teenage boys that wolf whistled her as she made her way past them.

" _What did you just do_?!" Zoe hissed, eyes wide as K handed her the slip of paper.

"Got her number for you. She thought you were really cute. Must be your lucky day. Her name's Samantha." K replied, her bags in hand as she turned on her heel and headed for the parking lot.

Which just ensured that Zoe didn't feel guilty at  _all_ when she slipped the lingerie into K's bag full of blue jeans and t-shirts while she sat in the back of the jeep. She just wished she could see the look on K's face when she found the lingerie – or better yet, if Logan was the one to find it. She grinned. She'd make sure that he got that bag to take up if he was around to help her when they got back.

* * *

Word of Logan and K's engagement had spread like wildfire throughout the mansion and beyond into the X-Men's circle, in no small part due to Kurt and Kitty making it their duty to let their friends know that Logan was taking a chance again.

As a result, the rounds of congratulations seem to last a little longer than K thought was strictly necessary, and Scott and Jean, in particular, were in fine moods. But when K took the time during one of their morning jogs to ask Scott about it, she really wasn't expecting his answer.

"He's really needed someone he can count on for too long," Scott said as they made the easy run through the woods. "And the fact that you're not on Hydra's side, or … teaming up with Weapon X, or God only knows who else? It's just … good."

She stared at him for a few moments before she let out a disbelieving little sound. "Well. I'm glad the bar is set so low." But that only got Scott laughing hard enough for a moment that he had to stop and catch his breath.

"You don't understand," he said, as they finally started running again. "He's just had a really long, really bad string of luck." He paused and tipped his head to the side for a moment. "And … some bad decisions. And questionable taste …"

But he didn't get to keep going before K whipped a snowball at him that plastered the side of his head. "Wow! Thanks for the glowing seal of approval," she said as she packed a second snowball. But that was just the start of things as the two of them dove into an entirely childish moment and abandoned their run for an impromptu snowball fight that ended when Scott finally just picked her up and tried to throw her into a snowdrift. He should have known that she was not going to let go of him, and by the time the whitewashing was done with both of them, they were ready to call it a morning.

When they got back to the house, Scott was still smirking since he felt like he'd ended the fight, but he didn't even get all the way to where Jean was sitting, her hand covering her mouth to dampen the laughter as K crept up behind him. Jean was just about to warn him when K struck- shoving two handfuls of snow down the collar of his shirt before she darted off with Scott swearing in the kitchen.

* * *

Chloe was staring out the window blankly as the snow fell outside. The whole school was still buzzing over the little couples' news. Until now, they'd never really been around someone that was getting ready to get married. The prospect of it scared both sisters a little bit.

Chloe, who hadn't really dated much, thought it was romantic, exciting. Logan seemed like he loved her. Mr. & Mrs. Summers seemed very much in love, and, every relationship that the staff of the school had going that was publicly known was just exactly the way that Chloe had always hoped that couples would treat each other. Ms. Munroe and Forge showed them great respect for each other, the Summers' showed them long term dedication. Ms. Pryde and Mr. Rasputin showed her that puppy love could turn into something real …. maybe. But Logan and K seemed to be a matter of white hot passion, for now anyhow.

She dropped onto her bed, laying her head on her arms as she stared down over the edge of the bed. She'd studied until she was cross eyed. The snow was falling heavy and hard, she could practically watch it pile up outside. She decided to make her way down to the game room to see if there was anything she could  _do_. Everyone in the institute was on lockdown for the blizzard that was set to hit starting later that night.

But things there were busy in that room.  _Very busy_. Enough so that Chloe abandoned her spot as soon as things got too raucous. There was a full on tournament at pool, ping pong, Foosball  _and_ the video games. She wandered from one room to the next, looking for a fairly quiet spot.

The closest she could find was the kitchen, where several of the teachers were quietly enjoying warm drinks – tea and cocoa – while they enjoyed the relative quiet. She pulled up an empty chair near Ms. Munroe, who generously offered to get her a cup of something warm. She didn't know why, but Chloe simply wasn't expecting her teachers to welcome her into their space. She accepted, and was just taking a sip of her cocoa as K and her fiance came laughing in from outside, a bitterly cold wind following as Logan closed the door behind them. Both of them had snow and ice encrusted in their hair and coats, making them appear as if they'd been frosted. K had barely gotten herself unzipped before Logan pressed her to the door and stole a kiss.

"Is everything alright in the barn, K?" Ms. Munroe asked, smirking as her friends took a break in their unintentional public display.

K pushed Logan back with one hand and nodded as she finally slipped out of her coat and began wiggling from her boots. "Yep. Everyone is fed, watered, blanketed, extra hay, and cozy for the night. It can blow hard and nothing will bother them," she replied even though with a quick look at the clock, Chloe could see that K's trip to the barn tonight easily took more than twice the time it normally did. Probably because Logan had joined her to 'help' her with the chores.

Chloe smiled to herself when she saw the hay stuck to Logan's shirt. He seemed a little more energetic with the heavier snowfall. It was clear that he loved it ... and how lucky for him that K loved it too. Chloe smiled when K took the seat next to her rather than one of the two across the table.

"So, what's the plan with you tomorrow? Any wild ideas, troublemaker?" K asked her as Logan leaned on the counter behind her.

"Well,  _no_. I think the snowstorm is going to put an end to anything fun." Chloe replied.

"Oh, come on," K said, almost disappointed. "It's just a little snow! Always something to do in the snow, right? We can come up with something."

Chloe smiled. K was trying to get her to cheer up a bit. She knew she was lonely and she didn't like it. In comparison, all her sister did was to tell her to get a boyfriend. Chloe decided to call it a night, laughing to herself when Logan and K did the same not two seconds after Chloe simply shrugged and said she was tired.

"Oh, yeah. Me too," Logan said, smirking at K. He let her get a few steps ahead of her as she climbed the staircase with Chloe, though he didn't even bother hiding it when he reached over and goosed K, trying to get a rise out of her.

Chloe caught out of the corner of her eye what he was doing and couldn't help but snicker. The innocent look on his face when K stopped in her tracks and spun to confront him was priceless.

"Can't you  _wait_ for two minutes?" K said, disbelief plain on her features.

His expression went from the picture perfect embodiment of innocence to positively devious in nothing flat as he smirked out a 'no' and rushed her. K slipped out of his closing arms, dashing away from him faster than Chloe knew she could move. He caught himself one handed before darting right after her as she ran toward their room.

Chloe was laughing at the two of them, She shaking her head as Logan's shouted 'damnit' echoed the hallway. She was nearly to her room when a familiar voice echoed her hall.

"Hey chicka, how come you've been hiding from me?" Angelo asked, a sad smile on his face. He'd been trying to advance past buddies for a few weeks now, but Chloe, although intensely curious about boys was rather terrified of the prospect of what all that entailed, should she become involved. In short, she simply wasn't ready for it.

"Oh, just been thinking a lot, I suppose." she replied, looking at her feet.

"You know, you don't have to hide if you're not up for dating. I get it. I'm  _no bien parecido_. But I am a friend and you've been looking down lately." He told her, his self consciousness getting the better of him.

"Ang, it's not that. Prince Charming could appear and I'd be afraid of starting up something. I'm just not ready for anyone," Chloe admitted. "And I think Prince Charming would have a lot of catching up to do if he was competing with you, Mr. Sweet."

That at least got Angelo to perk up a little bit. "You tellin' me I'm charming?" he smirked.

She grinned. "Yep. That's your whole trouble. You're  _too_ charming," she teased. "I'm sorry I've been hiding. It's just that you know ... Zoe has Sam, and Jubilee is pining over Emmett all the time, and Paige and Hisako are stuck on teachers – both of whom are  _very_ taken and not even close to an option. I just don't have the energy to put into a …. a  _relationship_. It looks exhausting."

Angelo laughed out loud. "Well if you're looking at K and Logan as the gold standard, yeah, it would be, wouldn't it? How about we just hang out as  _amigos_?" he asked, "Just looking for someone to laugh at the couples." She nodded as he grinned, wishing her a good night.

* * *

It took a few days, but the small blizzard had dumped nearly three feet and though it put a halt to K and Scott's forest run, the students and  _Bobby_ were making the most of it. Charles was watching them from his study as he appreciated that these kids at least, were allowed to act as such for a little while longer.

For weeks, he'd  _also_ been trying to find a place for K in their teaching staff. He wasn't sure where her talents were outside of the Danger Room and he liked keeping the adults in the mansion on task to help the kids. He knew she had compassion for teenagers – which was in and of itself better than a teaching degree as far as he was concerned.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a lone figure headed towards the stables. K's long braided hair hung down the center of her back as she trudged her way to the horses in her quilted vest. Some of the older boys tried to offer to shovel a path, but she declined them with a smile. She didn't see the gestures they made at her tiny retreating form that had Charles tutting to himself under his breath. He was going to have to find a way to make a manners class if this kind of behavior got much worse.

From inside the cozy office, Charles watched K fight with the door and the snow, and he had to wonder if he should send the boys down to help her anyhow. But before he could act on the impulse, she got the door open enough to disappear inside and close the door behind her. His attention went to the children again as he was fairly sure she was simply taking care of the chores there.

It was a simple pleasure he had, watching his students play, getting the chance to live out their childhoods. Before much time had passed, Jean came in to bring him a cup of tea and cheerfully joined him at the window. Both of them were laughing at the fun the kids outside were having. The kids were almost worn out when the barn door opened again, this time much wider than for just K. One of the horses was poking it's nose out the door. Even at this distance, and through the glass Charles could almost hear it snorting at the fresh snow, it's breath hanging in the air as it snorted. He wondered what exactly she was up to now.

The horse seemed reluctant to leave the warmth of the barn, and when it finally did, it leapt over the snow that was right in front of it. Only then did they see that K was on its back, in a saddle for a change, and gathering up a rope while she making large loops in it all along the long length. "What on heaven's name is she doing now?" Charles asked, fixated on watching her now.

K made her way over to the bottom of the sledding hill that some of the younger students were playing on. Many of the little students that had been out for a while were slowing down, but hadn't gone inside yet. They still  _wanted_ to slide, but they just didn't have the energy to climb the hill.

K walked the horse up to one of the smallest kids on the hill, who had given up nearly an hour ago.

Charles watched as the little brunette smiled kindly at the little girl then tossed the girl the end of the rope and started to walk away. K turned occasionally in the saddle and talked over her shoulder to the girl as she climbed onto her saucer sled. When the slack was out, the girl leaned back at K's instruction, and K trotted the horse up the hill, giving the child a free ride to the top.

Charles laughed out loud at the old fashioned solution. Now it all made sense. K tied the rope to the saddle horn and let it rest across her hip as other students caught on fast. Soon, she was pulling 4 students up at a time. They were enjoying the ride up more than the slide down.

Plus, Jean and Charles were enjoying watching them. Some would lose their grip and fall off the sled, both sled and rider sliding down the hill as the horse-powered ski lift went on without them. She kept it up for a while until the horse started to wear, then she gathered up the rope as the kids all voiced their disappointment as she rode away to cool the horse down before blanketing it well and putting it in the stall with some extra hay.

Charles had always thought that horses were mostly a fair weather activity. But on a whim, K had come up with something that they could do in winter aside from the positive psychological effect they had on those that spent time in the barn.

He decided to ask if she'd like to start giving lessons. Nearly everyone at the institute had watched her ride at one point or another. In fact, there was even an unofficial club of students that would watch from the window as she would work the animals and she'd started going on trail rides with Logan from time to time, usually ending with the two of them racing back after dark, both of them laughing. So Charles was surprised when he asked her that evening at dinner when she declined.

"But K, you're really good and the kids have been asking when you'll teach them," Jean said suddenly, clearly unhappy with her answer.

"I'm not  _that_  great of a rider, Jean. I can keep on, but that's not enough to teach," K said as she tried to explain herself, though everyone in attendance thought that was a weak excuse.

"Bullshit," Logan said as he watched his fiancee. "You're a hell of a rider. You can help them – they don't want to go to the Olympics, they just want to learn enough to have some fun." K stared at him and he held her gaze, sure he could talk her into it. "Besides," he continued, "they may need it some day."

She thought it over, her hands on her kneesas she composed herself. The two of them stared at each other while she weighed it out.

"I don't know how to make it into a course. Basic safety would take just a few lessons, and beginning riding only takes one – the rest is their practice. And what style?" She turned to Jean. "You have a hunter jumper course and one saddle for that job. The rest are western and english, and only one of them actually fits the horses right. The tree is too narrow. I can't help beginners with no tack."

Charles smiled. It wasn't that she  _wouldn't_ do it – they didn't have what was needed. "Easily remedied," Charles said as she turned his way. "What can you do for them with the equipment you have?"

She thought about it a moment before answering. "Maybe … four lessons worth. Basic safety, handling, grooming and ground work. Nothing mounted, and class sizes will have to stay at around six," she said frankly as Logan took her hand.

"Why six?" Scott asked "We have twelve horses." Apparently it was a question many in the house had.

"Yeah, there are twelve, but only half of them are trained for beginners. The others? Well, let see. You've got a high level dressage horse, an off the track race horse, two untrained horses and two that are old enough and cranky enough to be retired – one of which is lame," K rattled off.

"Personally – and you sure don't need to take my advice – I'd get rid of the race horse and the two unbroke horses. The oldest ones could possibly be used for the ground lessons, but that's it."

Charles smiled wider. She knew  _exactly_ what she was doing.

"What about the dressage horse? Which one is that?" Jean asked. She couldn't recall having a dressage horse out there.

"The big bay mare. She's  _wonderful,_ " K said, her voice softening as she mentioned the mare.

But Jean was dumbfounded. "That mare is  _awful_! She runs sideways when you try to get her to turn," Jean replied as she shook her head.

K's mouth quirked up at the corners. "I can show you later. She's easily the best horse in the barn and yes, if you aren't a higher level dressage rider, she can run sideways if you ask for a turn. The cue is a little more refined," K told her. Jean nodded and with that, half the staff wanted to see a demonstration.

In the arena after dinner, K double checked her tack on the big bay mare as the staff got comfortable in the bleachers. Logan gave her a kiss for luck he  _said_.

"Any excuse will do. But I don't need luck tonight," she sighed. "We're going to have a little fun and just straight up show off a little. I guess." She sighed as she looked at him sheepishly. "Guess you'll see how good I am now, eh?"

He smiled and kissed her again before he gave her a leg up. The big warmblood danced under her, ready to go, as K got settled. With a word, the horse calmed down and K patted her on the neck before they rode out in the lit arena.

She took position at the center of the arena and made the horse halt, going about it like a freestyle dressage program, only she shouted out what they were doing just before they did it, telling them where to look to see it, and doing the more upper level movements as close to her audience as she could instead of at set points around the arena.

Logan watched her with a smile when she transitioned into the most impressive looking movements. Jean's mouth was open as she watched K work the mare, who was snorting and drooling – her head tucked up on a loose rein as the pair began to do a near perfect piaffe. K smiled as she told them to watch the mare's feet.

"This is my favorite part," she said as the horse started on the tempis, then the half passes. After a few more passes, K halted for a moment to tell them that was all the mare did then she let the horse go and extend out in a good working trot. She was halfway around the arena, and the staff was muttering when Jean asked K if she could do a pirouette. It was clear she'd enjoyed the show she was getting from the little feral on the massive horse.

K tipped her head to the side as she looked at the animal in her hands. "I don't know, let's see," K replied with a grin before she set the mare up to try. The first attempt was very sloppy and only Jean and Charles knew what it should look like. They weren't surprised that the horse failed to perform – it was a  _very_ high level move that was difficult to do, but they were both shocked when K continued.

"Hold on," K said with a determined look on her face as she let the horse out again. After a lap, she returned to a central position in the arena. With a little coaching, K got the mare to do it, clicking and talking to her all through the move. It wasn't perfect, but even those that didn't know could see what they were working towards. Jean and Charles shared a stunned look as K trotted up to Logan and stopped on the rail.

"Hand me those two whips, would ya – the ones with the red ribbons," she requested looking serious.

"Two?" he asked as he handed them to her. She just nodded and flashed him a grin before she took the mare back around.

 _This_ time, with the whips as aides, the horse did it much neater, though still not well enough to show. She tried two more times before the mare started to get worse, then she just asked for a couple of half passes from her before hanging it up for the day. When she got back to the group, who had continued to watch her in awe, they were all smiling.

"She'll do better in a double bridle," K said as an assessment while she patted the mare who dropped her head with a snort.

"You're a  _trainer_ ," Logan accused as he crossed his arms.

K simply shrugged, entirely nonchalant. "Once upon a time," she said elusively.

"And you said you weren't a great rider," Scott said, as he shook his head. "We'll put up a sign up sheet and see how many kids you get for your class. Don't be surprised if they keep you busy."

"I'll do what I can, but teaching  _horses_ is easier than people," K informed him as Logan nodded in agreement.

"The horses listen better," he finished for her.

* * *

The sheet was full by noon the next day. Nearly every student that had watched K had signed up. Scott spent the next afternoon figuring out how to get all the kids in for a riding class. It would end up being a once a week class that she'd have to run five days a week and that was  _after_ Charles gave her free rein to adjust the horses in the barn so it would be full of suitable mounts for the beginners.

She retained the dressage mare for her own to ride and over the course of the next few weeks, she found four replacements for the three they couldn't use as a starting point. She had her work cut out for her as she started riding each and every horse for an hour every day leading up to the lessons to make sure they were safe rides.


	21. Looking Ahead From Behind

K was painfully aware that the kids in her riding class were much more breakable than her, and she treated them like they were made of glass. At least until she knew they were competent riders. She threw in plenty of stories of how she'd been hurt, trying to instill a respect for the animal into them.

Because of this, every class had been  _very_ careful and the only injuries anyone had suffered were stepped-on feet and a few nips from greedy horses looking for more treats. K had come in after a class one day, right behind the kids, when Kitty stopped her.

"We need to talk," Kitty told her before she pulled her into a classroom that held nearly all of the women of the mansion. "We want to help with the wedding," Kitty said as she smiled at K.

But K just looked back at them all blankly. "Who's getting married?" she asked, searching their faces for an answer.

She was met by a sea of disbelief.

" _You,_ " Jean replied with an irritated tone.

"Oh," K said, taken back by what she interpreted as their show of force. "Well, I haven't really thought about it much yet," she said as she turned to leave only to find her way blocked.

"What are you talking about? Don't you have a date yet?" Jean asked. They were all looking at her like she was insane.

"No … I figured we'd probably just go – do it one of these days," she said with a shrug. Clearly, she hadn't gotten the memo on what this marriage … this  _wedding_ meant to the residents of Xaviers. She simply didn't understand why all the women were so worked up.

"So, you really think you're just going to go and elope?" Betsy asked. Her irritation was easy to see and K actually considered her for a few moments. Clearly, they were trying to tell her something, but damned if K was going to let that message be delivered easily.

"Well, yeah. Do you …. you don't think that he  _wants_ something else do you?" K asked with a horrified expression on her face as she looked toward Kitty and Storm.

Ororo was amused as Kitty let out an entirely frustrated sound and turned around hell bent on finding her way to find Logan. She was sure  _he'd_ straighten this out.

* * *

"You have to pick a date, Logan!" Kitty shouted into the garage after she'd come straight through the back wall.

"For what? You gonna give me choices?" he asked her as he buffed out the new paint on the Harley.

" _No_. That's the problem. You and K have been engaged for like, three months now and neither of you have any idea when you're going to do this. We are going  _crazy_! You can't go get  _engaged_ then just let it hang there and not pick a date! You have every woman in the mansion dying to get working on this for you," Kitty reasoned. "You don't have to do anything, really. Just pick a date – we'll take care of everything for you," Kitty said.

He turned around to watch her as she ranted, a little surprised that she'd brought it to him. Didn't he have a woman to handle all this crap? It hit him what the trouble was as Kitty's pleading reached a fever pitch. "Wait. Every woman wants to rush this but K, right?" he asked, eyebrow cocked up. "Go tell her to pick, I'll go along with whatever the hell she wants to do," he said with a grumble as he turned back to polishing the bike, but that had Kitty fit to be tied.

"Why do you think I'm out here?! She has no clue!" Kitty shouted with her arms crossed – her irritation had boiled completely over.

Logan sighed and wiped his hands off on a rag before he stood up and walked inside with Kitty following him close behind like a kid that had just pulled Dad into the argument.

K was in the middle of taking a drink when Logan told her to pick a date for the wedding. She very nearly did a spit take. "Why?" she asked him and his eyes narrowed in irritation.

"You wanna marry me or not?" he asked as his dander rose. She'd said yes … all he could think of was that if she was havin' second thoughts, this was a pretty lousy way for him to find out.

"Yeah, I do – but do we need a  _wedding_? I mean - come on. Can't we just elope and call it a day? We can go this weekend if you're in a rush," K snarked at him, but to her surprise he looked as if he was considering it for a moment.

"Tempting, but no. I wanna do it right," he told her.

K couldn't believe her ears as she goggled at him. "I don't want anything big," she warned. "That's just not me."

He nodded his head in agreement as she looked for a means of escaping this insane discussion.

"And if those girls get to prepping and planning too deeply and it's going to scare me off," she warned.

Logan jerked his head for Kitty to leave the two of them to talk. This was starting to sound a little more complex to him than just being upset about the girls demanding a date from her. If this was going to blow up in his face, he didn't want any witnesses. "It shouldn't scare ya. It's supposed to be somethin' to look forward to," he told her as he stepped up to face her across the kitchen island. She seemed to be holding her breath as he continued. "Eloping this weekend would work for me though if it's just nerves," he told her, smirking as he knew he was testing her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Damn Canadian," she mumbled. "Fine." Without another word concerning the matter, she turned and started to walk away.

Logan watched her go – shocked that she'd just left him standing there. He darted around the counter and rushed to catch her as she headed upstairs. When she got to their room, she opened the door to the balcony and climbed up on the balcony railing. Logan followed her out cautiously. He was incredibly uneasy about her reaction to the lighthearted wedding talk the women had kicked this off with. Especially when he had to consider how Mariko left him at the altar. Although plenty of time had passed, he really wasn't up for a repeat performance with a woman he was already this deeply involved with.

"Hey, it didn't matter before when it was just the girls, but now I wanna know. Are we doin' this or not?" Logan asked gently as he began to worry in earnest that she didn't want to do it at all.

K let out a sigh as she looked down at the snow covered lawn. "Where's your favorite place in the world?" she asked as she stared off toward the treeline.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched her. Her expression was serious as she waited for his reaction to her question. Appearances aside, she was acutely aware of how it had to sound to him.

But then he realized she was asking an honest question. "Probably Alberta, up by the mountains. Why?" he asked in return as he made his way closer to her.

"And aside from having your adopted family around, do you expect  _anything_ out of an actual wedding?" she asked him, again, ignoring his question completely.

He frowned deeper as he considered her. She smelled like she was scared. But he didn't know what from. Him? "Just you. Makin' it official means somethin' to me," he replied though he was still curious as to why she was taking this line of questioning. It had him very uneasy, and more tense than he would care to admit.

She was quiet as he leaned on the railing facing her. He could see she was more skittish than he'd first thought. But he wanted to think that it wasn't his fault.

She let out a deep breath and looked at him seriously. "It would mean something to me too. Which brings me to something that's kind of important," she sighed as she staring at the ground below. "We can't get married. There's no way to make it legal. I don't have any proof of who I am."

But that really only got him smiling. He put his hand on her shoulder and tried to ease her mind. That was a simple enough hurdle. "The paperwork and legality isn't what's important to me, but if it makes you feel any better, unless we fake some papers – which we  _can_ do - we couldn't make it legal anyhow."

"I'll bet my excuse is more of a deal breaker than yours," K said with a skeptical tone.

"Doubt it," he chuckled. "Let's forget that any trace of who I really am was destroyed twenty, thirty years ago by the creeps that have been chasin' us." He let out a deep breath. "'Logan' isn't my real name. It's just what I've gone by most of my hundred and thirty some years. Which, is another real issue of legality for me. Even if I could show papers, no one would believe that 'James Howlett' would still be breathing. But I'd like to think I  _look_ a lot younger than my years."

She nodded but still looked nervous in spite of the way her shoulders were being held. "Well,  _James_  – nice to meet you. Still not sure my issue won't be a deal breaker. You  _men_ seem to have problems when you find out a girl is older than you thought."

"Long as you're legal I'm not too fussed," he replied gruffly.

She cracked a smile and couldn't help but chuckle. "Great … you like 'em young. That's craptastic. Ok. Want me to come clean too?" He smiled at her, realizing she really was a kindred spirit as he'd originally thought. "No shock that K was what they called me at Weapons X. I do know my name … but I can't stand people calling me by it. Lilja Skoghem," she said as she stuck her hand out for him to shake. He smiled and took it, only to kiss the back of her hand as she continued. "I'm freshly 97 and I hope my advanced age isn't a total turn off because I cannot tell you how happy I am that I'm not the one robbing the cradle for once."

He outright laughed at her as a smile finally crept onto her face. "So, that makes you what - some kinda Scandinavian?" he asked.

"The best kind – Svenska," she admitted.

"And I'm older then – still," he said, his smile growing.

She nodded. "Yes, by a  _shocking_ margin, and it's entirely bizarre for me," she replied candidly before he stepped closer to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. "So am I too old for you now?"

He laughed and picked her up from the railing to carry her inside. "Hardly. Unless I'm too old for you."

She sighed and shook her head as she resigned herself to their situation and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I won't pick a date. Just a time frame," she told him.

"I'm old but I wanna get this show on the road. Within the next year, if it's not too much trouble, ya spring chicken," he directed as he set her down on their bed.

"If we miss it this year, we do it next time around. Deal?"

He nodded, and kissed her forehead. "When and where, darlin'?" he asked as she finally started to relax into him.

"Your choice. Either late June in your mountains – you pick the spot ..." he nodded considering her first selection. "... or full color, anywhere in  _my_ peninsula  _or_ your whole damn maple syrup soaked country," she finished, earning another laugh from him. He stretched out on the bed and pulled her closer.

"So it boils down to fall colors or wildflowers?" he asked as she snuggled into him. He could see how hard it was for her to narrow it down even that far, and as it was, her heart was going a mile a minute. She nodded and looked up at him in an attempt to remain calm though she still smelled nervous. "I gotta pick?" he asked.

She nodded again. "I'm not the only one getting married, right? Make a choice."

"Then June it is," he told her with an optimistic smirk. She smiled nervously and he kissed her very carefully. "You're sure you're OK with that?" he asked as she figeted a little.

"Yeah, of course. Why?"

"You're  _sure_  you want to do this." he clarified.

" _Yes_  - wait. Why? You gettin' cold feet already? Is it because I'm too old?" she smiled at him.

"No  _I'm_  not, getting cold feet, ya sassy little thing," he replied which got a good laugh out of her. "And you're not too old. So don't start that crap."

"Alright. We're getting married. In June. But hey – those women down there do  _not_ get to run this. I will not be a barbie doll," K said with a touch of irritation to her voice.

He smiled mischievously and kissed her. "I promise, they'll know they don't get to plan a thing." She couldn't possibly have known that he had a way around it already.

* * *

The women of the mansion were justifiably upset with the couple. No date. No specific location, and no permission for them to do anything but keep their social calendar clear. This whole plan had blown up in their face. They had been told to not let it become a giant affair, lest it scare off the bride and now all they could do was wait and see what, if anything, they'd be allowed to do to help.

* * *

Winter was slipping by fast. The team had very little action and everyone was getting a little pent up because of it. Logan had been out more often assisting the Avengers with Hank, but everyone else was just waiting for some dire need that required them. It was one of the days that Logan and Hank were gone that Scott rounded up the team.

"Alright. This should be a simple extraction. We have a couple of kids that have been on the run for a few weeks now. They've been hard to nail down with Cerebro, but we're going to try it a little differently. The professor is going to wait until we're nearby and then let us know where to go once we get closer. We'll split up when we get there. Gambit, you and Rogue will be working together and K and I will cover the other half of the search." He turned to K to address her individually before he went on. "Normally, I'd have Logan on this, but we need a tracker and he's not around. You up to it?"

"Hound dog. Got it. No problem," she replied with an easy nod. Gambit and Rogue shared a little smile as Scott paused too. A Wolverine without the standard snarls at Scott. This was going to be interesting.

They suited up quickly and the four of them took off. Not long after, they landed in the desert outside Amarillo, Texas. Charles had gotten them as close as he could pin down and they split into their assigned pairs, Rogue and Gambit handled the aerial search and K led point on a scent trail that wove into the desert with Cyclops on her six. Their communicators crackled in their ears as Gambit reported that they had found one of the kids they were searching for, but she was dead.

The news just got worse when he reported back that they'd found her bound, bloody and badly torn up. Cyclops' was visibly disappointed on hearing the news. "Mark her location," Scott instructed. "We'll figure out how to proceed once we find the other one." There wasn't any reason to go to the police as they knew the area was one that was known, historically, as being very anti-mutant, so the two southerners had already guessed that they would have to bring this girl's body back with them to put to rest.

The wind died down, and Scott squatted down in the scrub bush before he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.  _Where the hell was the other one?_  That girl had a traveling companion. Was she lost out here? Was she the victim of some psycho killer or was  _she_ some kind of psycho killer herself? He replaced his glasses after a moment and glanced over at K, who had pointedly turned her back to him to give him some semblance of privacy as she tried to keep an eye open in the overly colorful sunset.

The sun had sunk low enough to make strange shadows in the scrub, and it made her very uneasy.

"Alright, let's go to Rogue and Gambit. Maybe you can pick up a scent trail from there," he suggested finally.

She nodded and turned to lead the way to them. When they got to the site, it was a bloodbath. K couldn't really smell more than the scent of putrifying blood on the desert sands. The body itself hadn't started to smell yet, but it would happen fast out there, even this time of year. She didn't stick around before she started to circle out, looking for a trail.

When she finally found something other than the scent of old blood, the hair stood up on the back of her neck. There was indeed a young woman out there somewhere, and she wasn't there willingly. She hesitated a moment before hitting her com to notify Scott of her discovery. He'd have to worry about how to deal with the crime scene later. She kept her voice as low as she could while she told him what was ahead of her somewhere in the desert.

"Scott, I got your trail. It's Sabretooth. He's got the other girl out here somewhere," she told him as she scanned the horizon line and looked deeply into the shadows of the scrub as she waited. She  _knew_ he didn't want her to go ahead alone, and she didn't want to leave the missing girl with Creed to die, so instead of backtracking, she did the only other thing that seemed even halfway smart, and held her position to wait for him.

When Scott touched her shoulder what felt like hours later, she wasn't surprised to see Remy and Rogue right behind him. All three of them looked a bit nervous as they started out. She assumed that had it been Logan there instead of her, he would have simply gone after him without so much as a radio warning to his team.

Once they were all in one place, Scott gave K a little nod and she led the way slowly. His trail was pretty easy for her to follow. The scent trail was clear but the sounds of a woman crying became louder as they closed in on where he was tucked away. They were going down into a dry creek bed, and she kept her eyes open for rattlesnakes as she navigated them down the slope. She slowly released her claws as she went forward, her body tensed and ready to fight.

When she spotted them ahead in the flickering fire light, he had the girl tied and shivering, curled into a ball as he lazily stoked the fire. She was bleeding badly and it was plain to see – he was just toying with her. But the scents drifting to her on the breeze …

In an instant, a red haze seemed to tint K's vision. Her temper flared like she couldn't remember it doing in years and before Scott could stop her or take a shot, she ran right at Creed.

He just barely realized she was there and turned his head as she sunk her claws into his neck and sliced down his back. Her claws cut into both lungs and he slumped forward then swung out at her as he lunged in her direction. In a lucky shot for him, he bashed her in the face, and knocked her skidding to the ground.

Scott blasted Creed as he tried to rise up again. Gambit and Rogue wasted no time as they quickly jumped in too. Cards flew as Creed turned his attention to his attackers. He tore a rock from the ground next to him and threw it. Scott dodged, but he still managed to clip him with the flying boulder fragment and knocked him out cold.

Gambit was being careful to keep out of his range, and did a fine job of avoiding those nasty claws of his while peppering him with charged cards and rocks. Rogue rushed to be sure that Scott wasn't in worse shape than just out of the game as Creed's gaze landed back on K.

She'd gotten back on her feet and was ready to try again. His smile made her sick. She wanted nothing more than to jam her claws through his head. He purred as he took her in and sunk into a crouch. Her heart hammered in her ears, but for the first time, it wasn't from fear of him.

"Looks like the little kitten has finally figured out how to use her claws," he said as he licked his lips and the pair circled each other. "You don't have to be jealous of  _her_ , frail. I got plenty more for you. Just gotta get you outta that ridiculous costume."

He charged her and she broke his concentration when she ran straight for him. He swiped at her and she stabbed his shoulder, cutting through all the bones and nearly severing his arm. He howled in pain as he wheeled around in time to see her dodging in closer. She rammed her claws through one of his kidneys and twisted her arm as she ran him through.

When he grabbed her wrist at his side, she cut his Achilles tendon with her free arm – which dropped him on his backside. He took her with him though when he fell. His other arm hadn't healed yet and he couldn't maneuver her to grab her free hand. Shocked at his position, he found he had to keep her at an arms length, or she was going to tear him to pieces.

Unfortunately, Gambit couldn't get a clear shot with K in the line of fire. She was on her own.

But Creed couldn't pull his arm where it needed to be to heal, so he started to swing her like a rag doll, instead. He bashed her into the ground by her ankle and knocked the wind out of her. He tore at her uniform, and slashed her across her face and all the way down to her knees. He kneeled on her arms and sat on her chest to hold her still and keep her from injuring him further.

As she tried to blink the blood from her eyes, he held his injured arm in place to allow it to stitch itself back together. And as soon as the preliminary connections renewed themselves, he backhanded her just an instant before Gambit started his own assault on him, distracting him from his river rat as Rogue swooped in and pulled Creed off K by his hair, earning herself a deep set of cuts on her arms for her troubles.

Creed turned right into K's foot as she moved into a kick that made solid contact with his head – the impact hit him in the face and smashed half the bones in it against her adamantium infused foot. He'd managed to grab her ankle though and again slammed her like a rag doll before he dropped her face down in the dirt under him. He sunk his claws into her sides, and dragged them down over her hips as she screamed in agony. Before she could begin to stop him, he was again raising an arm to slash her open.

But by that time, Scott had gotten back in the game, and although he was foggy, he finally opened his eyes again. K's scream had roused him in the worst possible way and he rushed to catch up to where his team had gotten to.

Gambit was going after Creed with his bo staff, but not making much purchase after Creed threw sand in his eyes. Rogue couldn't use one of her arms properly since he'd managed to cut a major tendon when he slashed her. And Scott was quickly starting to become overwhelmed for a moment at the disaster in front of him.

In a flash, Gambit was bleeding on the ground and Creed had turned his attention back to K. He grabbed her foot and began to pull her closer. At first she clawed at the ground with her fingers in a vain attempt to remove herself from his grasp until he yanked her hard and flipped her onto her back.

"Ya miss me girl? That was a nasty little trick you pulled. I owe you BIG for that one, but first I think I'd like to play around a little," he growled out hauling her closer still. She still tried to get loose as he pulled her towards him, her uniform in tatters. But when she was close enough, she swung up at him, fully intending to sink her claws into his chest, but he caught her wrists and held her hands down over her head leaning over her as K twisted and bucked in an attempt to get out of his grip. It was looking pretty bleak when Scott caught up and blasted him with all he had, his visor in his hand as he just pulverized the beast. Creed sliced her leg as he was blasted off of her but the blast Scott had hit him with had made sure that Sabretooth was nowhere to be seen.

Scott rushed to K's aid as she trembled on the desert sands. She was bloody and her uniform was rags as Scott helped her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, trying to make sure she was alright. Once she was upright though, she was shakily assuring him she was fine. As soon as he let her go, she stumbled to where Gambit was sliced open to assess his injuries while Scott checked on Rogue.

Rogue had been cut deeply but there was little they could do in the field but stop the bleeding. Scott went with her to the jet and wrapped her wounds quickly before he returned to Gambit.

The cuts in Remy's abdomen were deep, but the ragin' cajun couldn't help himself in the face of a pretty woman in a state of undress rendering aid to him. He flirted shamelessly with her as she shook her head at him and held him down. She made no comment on his weak attempt to lighten the atmosphere, even as she gave him some morphine and attended to his wounds.

With a little effort, Scott helped him to his feet and he guided the injured but patched up man into the jet while K carefully walked towards the girl that was back in the dry creek bed, a fair little walk from where the battle had ended. Scott had already assessed her, and she was going to be fine - eventually, but she hadn't followed when Scott had asked, and when K got to her, she was curled up and crying, and bleeding from several places as K knelt beside her.

"You're going to be alright. We're going to get you out of here and away from him. Is anything broken?" K asked in a firm, but gentle tone. But the young woman couldn't speak – too far into shock to properly reply anything at all.

K looked around them and decided not to wait for Scott – he likely had his hands full with Gambit and Rogue and keeping watch for Creed's inevitable return. She carefully got the girl semi upright before she scooped her up and carried her back to the jet. The girl latched onto her and cried in great sobs as K brought her to the blackbird. Fifty yards from the jet, Scott caught up to them and took over getting the girl inside as K closed the hatch for him and the turbines fired up. Gambit generously offered K his trench coat as she secured him for the flight.

"Here,  _cherie_. Best to cover up before we land. Ol' Logan gon' lose it if he know Remy and Scott starin' at his woman dressed like dat," Remy said with a dopey smile. "Though it sure a nice view." K smirked and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead after she slid the coat on and pulled the front of it shut.

"Thanks, Remy," she told him hoarsely. "Anything illegal in this thing I should know about?"

He chuckled in his low laugh as the drugs reared their head – his inhibitions gone. "Jus' you, petie. Dat's got to be illegal."

She smiled earnestly and abandoned him to check on a badly hurting Rogue. Even with the morphine, the southern belle was moaning in pain.

"How's your control?" K asked as Rogue bled through her bandages again, feeling woozy.

"Alright for now. Why?" she asked as K pulled off Rogue's glove and touched her hand. A few moments later, Rouge was healing fast and K was dizzy and sick in the chair across from her, head between her knees.

They were lucky on the return flight and caught a fast tailwind. They made it back in record time and unloaded the plane of the injured with haste. Both Remy and the girl would need surgery and Celia and Hank were already prepped for them when they landed.

As they were attended to, K walked down to the elevator. Scott was already waiting for her on the main floor and as soon as she stepped out, he stepped off of his spot where he'd been leaning against the wall and motioned for her to follow him.

They sat down in Scott's office without a word said, and he handed her a laptop to record her field report. Instead of questioning her for details, he just read over her shoulder as she typed it out quickly. His face looked more grave as the report continued, not happy in the least with how much that he'd missed. When she finished, Scott simply read it over again to make sure he didn't have anything else to be clarified. He nodded and thanked her before she stood up to leave.

When she got into the bedroom, she unintentionally roused Logan. He'd been passed out cold until she entered. Logan sat up in bed and watched her as she leaned against the closed door. On watching her body language, he quickly got up and stopped her before she could get into the bathroom.

He had her lean on him in the middle of the room as she took Gambit's coat off. "So it was not a picture perfect run," K said when he saw the damage to her uniform. Everything from the neckline to her knees was shredded and covered in dried blood with sand stuck to her here and there.

His anger started to rise and he helped her to slip out of the tattered remains before he set them aside to be destroyed later. But he could see how hard she must have fought back, and how much damage had gone both ways if the amount of Creed's scent was any indicator. She had as much of his blood on her as she did her own. He tipped her chin up and kissed her before he led her into the shower.

* * *

The girl that Scott's team had brought in  _wasn't_ doing well at all. She had sustained many injuries, some that weren't apparent until she'd been in surgery. A head to toe exam and its findings went with Hank when he headed to SHIELD to file the incident report.

When the girl regained consciousness, she had told them that her name was Daisy and she came from Oklahoma. She and her friend had run away after they'd dropped out of school. Their naive, starry eyed plan was to head out to Las Vegas for an adventure. They hadn't gotten too far when they ran into Creed in a bar. Their fake ID's didn't work for them, and Creed  _generously_ offered to buy, but as soon as they were in his car, predictably, everything went south. He took them to the desert and dropped Daisy off in the dry creek bed, though he didn't even bother tying her, telling her to go ahead and run, if she wanted before he dragged the other girl out to where they found her body.

Daisy said she'd heard the whole ordeal as Creed tortured her friend. But she flat didn't want to talk about what had happened to her, and honestly, Jean backed away, shaking her head hard at what she saw in the girl's mind.

As far as the rescue went, Daisy didn't see the fight more than the first bit, but was sure she was going to die when she heard K screaming toward the end of it. After all, if he could take down the fierce woman that had made  _him_ scream – she had no hope of survival.

The sight of the little brunette striding up to her shredded and covered in blood shocked her, but she was also terribly thankful that they'd stopped him when they did. As it was, she had fractures to her forehead and nose and since she entered the med bay, she'd lost vision in one of her eyes from a small stroke – a direct result of the beating he had given her. Hank had been sure to give her some medication to prevent her getting pregnant, but Daisy couldn't tell him how long she'd been in the desert with Creed abusing her with any real confidence. Only time would tell if she'd be safe.

She stayed in the med bay for her entire time at Xaviers where Henry could fuss over her to his heart's content, and Daisy had said that she felt safer there, with the quiet of the med bay than she ever had in any hospital setting, and Henry was not going to kick her out.

Before the girl left to go home a few weeks later, she asked to talk to K. When Daisy saw her enter with Logan at her side, she teared up. K didn't know what to do about it either as Logan pushed her forward. When she was close enough, Daisy threw her arms around K's neck and cried into her shoulder as she thanked her for saving her and helping her get away from Creed.

K was reluctant to touch the girl until her scent hit K's nose. Then she just got mad all over again. She hugged the her tightly until Daisy released her first and wiped her eyes. Logan was alarmed when he saw K's artificial smile. She patted the girl on the knee then pulled Hank into his office and roughly slammed the door behind her, to leave Logan alone with Daisy.

To Logan's ears it sounded like K was reading Hank the riot act. The two of them came out of the office looking grim. K composed herself quickly for the young woman and smiled as friendly as she could to Daisy before she wished her luck and took Logan's hand on their way out.

"What was that about, darlin?" Logan asked. Her jaw tightened and just she kept walking until they were outside with the door closed behind them. He grabbed her arm as she paced and turned her to face him – she had gotten more irritated as she walked. " _What?_ " he spat, unused to seeing her so angry and unresponsive to him.

"She's pregnant," K growled out low. Logan's face went slack for a moment. That poor girl had been through enough. And then she had to deal with this on top of it? "Hank says she knows. I'm goin' back to Texas. I'll find the sonofabitch and set him on fire, whether he's dead or not," K snarled. Logan took her by the shoulders and made her stop to look at him.

"Calm down. He won't be in Texas anymore. He'll show up again. We'll get him," he promised her. She breathed deeply as she tried to calm down. He stepped into her and nuzzled her neck. She tried to ignore it, but he'd learned already that his scent settled her, and before long she'd wrapped her arms around him. The tension eased in her shoulders when he pulled her closer and she buried her face in his neck.

"It's not  _fair_ that you can calm me down like that," K told him with a growl and a frown. "It's not. Right."

"I know," Logan replied. "And I'm not sorry."

She narrowed her eyes further and tried to hold onto the rage that had popped up so easily. "I want him dead. I want him  _dead_ , and I want to do it," she said before he got her to lay her head on his shoulder.

"We'll get 'im," he promised low over and over as he stroked her back and kissed her neck in spite of the fact that his own anger was growing. He'd decided already that he would read the report finally. He's put it off because it had sounded so run of the mill for a Sabretooth encounter, but clearly he needed to look into it. He'd see what happened, then he'd start hunting the bastard himself.


	22. High Tech Hunting

Logan sat with his head in his hands leaning on his elbows in the ready room. He stared down at the keyboard after he'd read through the reports from Daisy's extraction run. It was the first time that he could remember Scott being unable to give a full report due to him not being conscious for part of the mission.

All reports were complete, and if they were accurate, then he had to do something about Creed before he and K went head to head again. Her fury made her a more formidable opponent, it seemed, at least from what Gambit and Rogue reported. Scott had probably done the right thing at the end of the conflict when he blasted Creed, but it was clear from K's reaction to Daisy ending up pregnant from the fiasco that K wanted more than to put Creed's head on a stick and light it on fire. He didn't move a muscle when Scott walked in holding an extra cup of coffee with his name on it. Logan let out a little sigh as Scott wordlessly set the mug down in front of Logan.

"What's this for, Scooter?" he asked without bothering to lift his head.

"Thought you could use it. Your fiance is trying to talk Jean into looking for Creed. She wants to go after him. Today," Scott said as Logan leaned back and stretched out wearily in the chair then leaned forward to pick up the coffee.

"She means to kill him, Scott. I don't begrudge her that, but she's gonna get  _herself_  killed if she doesn't slow the hell down on this one," Logan said before he took a sip.

Scott's mouth tightened at Logan's assessment. "So. What are you going to do about it? I don't think more danger room time is going to help her prepare. She didn't fight the same out there," Scott told him.

Logan looked up at him with his brows drawn together. That just didn't make any sense to him. Not with all the training he'd made sure she had.

Scott took a breath and held it with his lips parted before he started to explain. "Has she … ever gone into a session with her claws out at the start?" Scott asked.

Logan thought about it a second, and tipped his head to the side. "No, not that I can remember – why?" he asked.

"She did that night. She was on point and she led us down the bank. She slid them out real slowly as we walked and if it wasn't for the moonlight, I wouldn't have even known she'd done it. As far as I could tell, it was totally silent," Scott told him.

Logan stared at him for a moment then whistled low in response.  _Sneaky woman,_  he thought to himself. "Don't get on her bad side, Summers," Logan rasped out before he tipped his mug back. "And thanks for the coffee."

Scott smirked to himself as he sat down to try and help Logan figure out what to do next since _clearly_ , this was a two man planning job.

* * *

K was getting completely frustrated. As far as she was concerned, Jean was just being obstinate when she had flat refused to help her and it was completely unacceptable. Jean had tried to explain that Creed, Logan, and even K herself for that matter, were very hard to find or follow, even with Cerebro's assistance.

It was something about their minds being harder to touch without permission, but K didn't understand it. Neither did Jean exactly, so rather than frustrate both of them, she simply quit trying to explain and just gave her a hug with a heartfelt apology before she left. K was just about to go upstairs and grab a bag to take off when Remy slowly and gently leaned against the counter next her. She didn't acknowledge him right away – she was far too busy thinking about how to follow a weeks old trail as she drummed her fingers on the counter top.

"Anyone ever tell you dat you awful cute when you mad,  _chere_?" Gambit asked with a grin as he watched K's reaction.

She glared at him then walked across the kitchen to put some distance between them. "Anyone tell you ya smell like you took a bath in that cologne?" she growled back.

But Remy couldn't help but chuckle as he shifted his position. "Mebbe your  _beau_ once or twice. Whatchu doin right now, _petit_? Why you wanna go lookin' fer dat kinda trouble with the  _chat mal_?" he asked as he hopped up on the counter. He winced a little as his stitches pulled at the wounds under his dressings.

"Why would I want to wait for him to come to me? I'm not leaving this on his terms," K said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Remy tipped his head, understanding finally what she meant.

With Logan, it had always been fight and then both he and Creed would retreat to their corners to lick their wounds, only really to cross swords again when next they time that they met up, whenever that was. But it almost always meant Creed launching the offensive. K didn't want to let him be the only one really ready for a fight. She wanted him to feel like he was the one under attack for a change.

"You got a temper as bad as Logan. Mebbe worse. But dat kinda thinkin' makes some sense to dis ol' cajun," Remy assured her. "Jus' don' see what happened to make you so much more mad dis time round."

She didn't enlighten him seeing as she didn't want to divulge Daisy's condition, though just thinking about it had her more angry as she narrowed her eyes and left the kitchen. K knew she needed to settle herself down. So, she walked down to the barn. After all, brushing out a horse always helped her calm down a little.

She pulled out the big bay mare, and began grooming her. When she was done, she led her out to the arena and asked the mare to bow before she climbed on bareback. She rode her for a bit with just a rope, then she decided to slip the halter off too as her anger began to slide onto the back burner in her mind. The horse did wonderfully, and K couldn't help but smile to herself at how well she got along with this mare. After they got warmed up, she opened the gate and they left the arena. She rode out along the lawn at an easy pace, just taking in the wind.

Some of her students had gathered, the girls in particular enjoyed watching her ride the horse with no saddle or bridle as she passed them by. As she ran through some exercises and lateral movements the smile finally came back to her.

Logan had to do a double take as she passed by him grinning and galloping at full speed. The pair of them ran and her irritation seemed to slip away in the spring breeze until she finally slowed the horse on the approach to the arena again. Logan was sitting on the mounting block talking to Stark as she and the mare walked up – the mare was snorting and panting as she proudly bobbed her head.

Breathless, K slipped off the horse as Logan put the halter back on it.

"Wow," Stark said with an impressed smirk as he watched them handle the animal. "Why isn't this in your file?"

K paused and looked at him with a confused expression. "What are you talking about now?" she asked.

"Your secondary mutation. It should be in your file," Tony replied, looking as if it was the most reasonable thing he could say.

But K was obviously missing whatever it was he meant, and she and Logan both shared a glance, brows scrunched up. "What the hell are you-  _what_  secondary mutation?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"Well, it is pretty obvious, isn't it? Clearly you have the ability to command sweaty, hairy beasts when you wrap your legs around them." Tony was clearly amused at his little joke, and incredibly proud that he'd managed to hit her with a solid zinger.

K's mouth dropped as Stark grinned widely. But before she could gather herself or begin to say  _anything_ to him, Logan decked him, knocking him out cold.

"Sonofabitch don't know when to shut his damn mouth," Logan grumbled as he turned to lead the horse back to the barn to put her away without another glance toward Tony's prone body.

K couldn't help but break into a broad grin as she turned and almost skipped to catch up to him. She leaned in the door frame of the barn, watching as Logan put the horse up for her. She wanted to say something, she really did, but … it was just so entertaining to see Logan at work like that. She was getting to really like the protective streak.

Logan was clearly trying to cool off, though when he glanced up at K  _grinning_ at him, he couldn't help but smirk a little before he stopped next to her. He didn't have to make a move before she gave him a kiss.

"If he's the one helping us, you probably shouldn't have hit him so hard," K suggested as their foreheads touched, though the amusement was easy enough to hear in her voice.

"I didn't hit him that hard and if he don't want to help, then to hell with him. I'm not puttin' up with that bullshit," he growled back. She slid her hands onto the sides of his neck and gave him a much longer kiss. Both of them were smirking at each other by the time they were done going back and forth.

"Just so you know, that was a total turn on. So, you know – file that away," she told him as he kissed her one last time. "But we have work to do, so let's go scrape him off the lawn before someone else has to do it for us."

He nipped at her as they broke apart and the two of them looked like a unified front as they strode towards the still unconscious billionaire. Logan nudged him with his boot to rouse him, not really bothering to look his way, instead putting his attention further out, as he watched the edge of the forest instead. "Come on, I haven't got all day while you nap," Logan growled out.

Dazed and moaning Stark began to sit up. Neither offered him assistance as he pulled himself together. "Right. Sorry 'bout that. Maybe that was a little over the line," Stark said as he wiped the blood from his mouth though he didn't quite meet either of their eyes.

Logan just raised an eyebrow and jerked his head, indicating that they head up to the house.

"Next time I won't pull my punch, Stark," he warned him as they made their way to the war room.

* * *

"So, the plan is simple. I'm monitoring all of his bank accounts. Last activity was in Utah, yesterday. We found out he has a place in South Dakota, among others. I think that's where he's headed, and when I get the satellite pics to back it up, I'll make sure you guys know," Stark said as he turned from the projected screen floating in front of them to the ferals themselves. "Now, Logan, you know your  _other_  team is behind you on this too. Well, probably not Banner, but the rest of us have got your back, even if your sense of humor is even less entertaining than usual," he amended. "We don't want you lone-wolfing this thing."

Logan nodded in agreement. "It's not me you gotta worry about this time. It's her," Logan said as he pulled K a little tighter to him.

Stark blinked hard as he stared at her for a few moments. "Previous joke notwithstanding, I  _have_  read your files. I get wanting revenge for what he did to you, but isn't it smarter to just keep away from him  _knowing_ what he wants to do to you? Should he get a hold of you that is," Stark said to her seriously.

Her mouth tightened. "It's not just that. He's doing crap like this in his spare time. It's an entertainment factor for him. I can't let him treat all these anonymous women like chew toys," K said though she found it hard to put into words exactly what she thought. "And, like I said to Le Beau earlier – I'm tired of letting  _him_ set the terms. Both of us have looked over our shoulders for too many years, waiting for him to show up and start trouble. I'm tired of waiting."

Tony considered her, unmoving as he thought it through. "Right. Well, you've got a handful of the Avengers ready to go with you when we find him." He turned to Logan. "When the satellite confirms he's holding still, I'll be here as fast as I can. At least one more Avenger will be going. Not sure who it'll be, but  _don't leave without us this time_."

Logan nodded and Stark turned his attention to K. "I really am sorry. For earlier. And not because Logan hit me. I was just trying to get a rise out of you," Stark said he even almost looked sorry. K just started back at him. A few moments passed in silence before Stark couldn't take the dead air. "Yeah. Won't happen again. Don't hate me," he said as he slipped his sunglasses back on. He shook Logan's hand and let himself out, the bruise already dark on his jaw.

* * *

Time was passing them all by. Every few days they'd get more information on where Creed was. Utah, Nevada, California – various spots as he headed up the coast. He was constantly moving. He backtracked from time to time, but overall, he just seemed to keep moving slowly along. They monitored the news at the same time, keeping their eyes open for missing persons, or vicious assaults. It was pretty quiet though, until of course, it went completely dead. Nothing hit their system for well over a week and it got K wondering … Where the hell was he anyhow?

The lack of information streaming in caused K to get cagey. She knew trouble was brewing, but didn't know what, if anything, she could do about it.

"He'll turn up. Don't worry. He can't do anything without us knowing right now. He's just working off cash," Jean told her one day.

"I'm not worried," K replied testily. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

It was morning … still early spring time on a beautiful Saturday. The sun was shining and the dew on the grass had already started to dry in the sun. K had just come in from her morning chores and sat down next to Jubilee and the girls, who were sleepily shoving cereal into their mouths. Chloe reached over and picked up K's hand as Chloe startled K into watching what the girl was up to.

"Your ring is really pretty. You need to clean it though," Chloe said as she eyed the diamonds in the details on the sparkling token. "What is that in the setting anyhow?" she asked as she leaned toward the little feral's hand.

"I helped pick it out," Jubilee interjected her pride was evident on her face.

K gave her a fond little smile. "You helped?" K asked and Jubilee smiled wider as she nodded her head. "Well you two did really well. I love it. It's perfect," K told her.

"Well, I narrowed it down, he picked," Jubilee amended as she took K's hand from Chloe's grip and looked at it closer. "It's blood. You have dried blood in your setting," Jubilee pointed out as she scrunched up her nose and went right back to her sugar bombs. "Gross."

"Does that surprise you for some reason?" Zoe asked as she chuckled to herself. The other two girls shook their heads. They really didn't want to argue that point.

K laughed at them as she pulled her hand back and rubbed her head. These girls were so – normal. The notion had her daydreaming about her own childhood, and what she was like when she was these girls' age. She couldn't remember everything, but one memory did spring to mind.

_She was walking home from school with her sister. She was barefoot, shoes in hand, and the girls were simply minding their own business. The girls were almost in front of the shack that belonged to an old man that used to tell stories about his time out west during the gold rush in the black hills of South Dakota when a couple of older boys started harassing them. Her sister rushed ahead as the boys took K's books from her and took turns as they tried to lift her skirt up as they pushed her back and forth between them. At first she'd been upset. Then all at once, one of them caught her up with her arms crossed in front of her and kissed her as she struggled to get away from him. When he smirked at her, she lost her temper in glorious fashion._

_All at once, her whole body language changed. Before any time had passed she'd ended up simply pounding the living daylights out of one of them and had knocked the other out cold. She gathered her books and simply continued on her path as the old man at the shack positively cackled. Of course, she'd looked at him in a manner that insinuated that she knew he was off his rocker before she hurried back home._

She didn't know what she would have done if she'd had a place like this when she was their age, but … she was sure that she was glad they had the chance to be normal. And the chance to grow up in their own time. Not like she'd had to do.

She tried to figure out what it was that was so different, and as she frowned at the slowly cooling coffee in her mug it hit her.

It was the focus. The girls didn't have it unless they were prepared, but for K - that was just the way she was. It was probably part of the mutation, she thought. It wasn't something she could exactly control, and she didn't think about it. It just happened when she needed it. And sudden hyper awareness on top of high functioning senses was a highly dangerous combination for anyone who meant her harm.

With that old memory, and the genuine wonder on if it was just her, she wasn't shocked in the least when she saw the rustle of movement in the trees out of the corner of her eye far across the lawn. The flash of blonde in the deepening green was like waving a flag. She grimly smiled to herself. Jean was right after all. He  _did_ turn up. The bastard was right there.

* * *

Jubilee was watching K while the girls joked around. No one had asked her to, but she seemed off that morning. She looked distant when she was talking with the girls and all of a sudden, her whole body language was different. She was upright, relaxed. Her movements were fluid and purposeful. She vaguely thought it was almost like watching Logan when he went into autopilot.

 _Oh shit_. She nearly dropped her spoon as the lightbulb clicked. It  _was_  like watching Logan. Or a horror movie. Jubilee froze as K carefully set her coffee mug down and stepped towards the sliding door out of the kitchen. Her body flowed. She moved like a predator on the prowl. K was just past the patio when Jubilee saw Creed as he stepped out of the treeline, and in a heartbeat, Jubilee was screaming mentally for Jean, who immediately alerted everyone in the team.

" _K don't_!" Jubilee called out – but K either didn't hear her, or it just didn't register as she dropped low, running right for the massive blonde man headed right for her, clearly ready to tear her up. The man darted in toward her, and K avoided every strike he tried to make, slicing into him instead, sinking her claws into the soft part of his thighs, his roar echoing the grounds.

In the garage, Logan heard Jean's warning and his heart leapt into his throat.  _What the hell is she tryin' to do?_ He thought to himself as he ran as fast as he could to get there, but they'd already started fighting by the time Logan saw. The girls were staring at the fight in total horror and awe as the blood flew.

The first thing Logan heard coming out of the door was Creed's pained scream as K slashed his groin wide open. She dodged his claws with ease and simply kept just out of his reach – taunting him.

Logan let his claws fly with a roar as he ran up toward the pair, ready to break into the fray himself and draw fire from Creed for her. "Get in the house!" he shouted over his shoulder at the girls as he neared them.

But there was no way in hell the sisters could move right now, even if they wanted to. Jubilee actually took a few steps forward as the two ferals fought. No one outside of the team had seen K fight before, and this was one hell of a display. Even the sisters who had known her best were frozen in fear and awe.

But as Logan approached, K yelled at him to stay clear as the fight waged on. She moved fast enough that Creed didn't have the time or the breath to throw insults at her. Logan stopped at her shout, retracting his claws as he watched for an opportunity to jump in, and saw none. A crowd was starting to grow behind the girls – other students and teachers looking for a way to assist. But the blood on the grass ...

Creed was bleeding heavily from damn near everywhere. K kept slashing him fast enough that his healing didn't matter any more. As one wound closed up, she'd open a new one. K had a few hits on her clothes, but not more than a few scratches, and still, Logan couldn't find a way into the fight that wouldn't hurt her more than help her. He was visibly frustrated, and just watching for an opening.

But then Logan saw the expression on her face. She was so far beyond angry that he wasn't sure there was a proper word for it and as she moved, her eyes never once came off of Creed's face. Logan stayed back, and waited, ready to jump in if and when K needed help. Though he kicked himself in the moment for not having run any scenarios where they joined forces to attack Creed. He just had assumed this whole time that it would be  _him_ – not  _her_ that would end up doing what she was.

Jubilee appeared next to his shoulder moments later and he quickly turned to bark at the girls to get back and away from the fight. No reason to add more collateral damage to the mix.

On hearing his voice, Creed turned towards Logan with a sneer. Obviously, he'd figured he'd nail the runt and get the little attack bitch off him. Sure she wouldn't hurt her little Logan, and sure Logan would never let a woman fight any battle he could take on for her _._  He lunged for Logan and got the reminder of the century when she all but snarled at him. "Never turn your back on an enemy, jackass," K snarled. "Remember that one? I sure do."

She wasn't lying either, and Victor was sorely hurting from that mistake. Turning his back on her wasn't smart. Even for that little moment. She'd sliced his hamstrings and Achilles which left his legs worthless until they healed. He meant to roll over, but she jumped onto his back and to his surprise, she wrapped her legs around his neck and started to squeeze hard.

As blackness started to occupy his vision he quickly realized that she had no intentions of just making him black out. This was her payback. Out of desperation and spite, he sunk his claws in her thighs as deeply as he could and wriggled his fingers as he tried to wrench her legs apart, already having decided that he'd tear them off her body if she didn't let him loose. His pain play very nearly worked too.

When he applied his substantial strength to pulling while his claws were buried so deeply she couldn't fight him – and his grip was good enough she knew she couldn't get away. He chuckled at her scream as soon as he'd wrenched her legs enough to breathe but as she started to fall backward, she suddenly had a moment of inspiration.

With a flick of her wrist, she reached behind herself and sliced through his spine. He didn't have time to feel any pain from it as he lost all control of his body from the neck down.

Logan pulled her off him, even as she was scrambling to get back to him and finish the job. But it was clear the X-Men weren't going to go that route if they could help it as Scott rushed some cuffs over, and Hank scanned Creed's body for any electronics. The search was thorough, and Scott was sure to restrain him tightly before they left him where K had dropped him on the lawn.

"That was stupid," Scott said toward K and Logan as he called Stark and explained how it had already gone down. Stark made sure that this time, the Avengers responded quickly and before the call was ended, a transport was already on the way.

But K was breathing hard. Harder than she should have been. She was in pain and she still wanted to finish the job. And while Logan didn't exactly restrain her, he kept a hold on her as she came back to herself.

"Time to go in!" Ororo shouted to the student body that had gathered as a whole. "We need to secure him before he heals – everyone inside and out of the line of danger. NOW." But naturally, not everyone followed orders and Jubilee and the sisters were not in any mood to go.

With a groan, K leaned hard on Logan, nearly to the point of collapse. She clutched at her bloodied legs as the adrenaline wore off and all the strength in her limbs quickly began to wane. She wasn't healing right and she was losing too much blood. "Something's wrong," she said quietly and as she tipped her head toward Logan, she started to slip to the ground.

He drew in a deep breath and frowned on scenting something that simply should not have been there as he laid her on the ground and ripped open her blood soaked jeans, clearly upset when he saw blood pulsing from the open wounds. The punctures weren't closing. He shouted for Hank as he knelt next to her, not even trying to hide the distress in his voice. Hank turned at Logan's call and from halfway across the lawn, he could see she was in dire straits. He came running, his previous task abandoned when he realized there was just too much blood around her.

* * *

K's head was turned toward the house, and she was focused on Hank as he bounded across the lawn towards her. She didn't think much of it until she realized he was getting fuzzier as he got closer. She blinked hard and squinted as she tried to bring the furry doctor into focus … but it just wasn't working. She felt a hand on her cheek, and looked up to see Logan's concerned expression. She couldn't hear what he was trying to say to her. His lips were moving … but she just couldn't understand why she couldn't hear him right even when everything seemed overpoweringly loud.

She wanted to raise her hand to cover his and reassure him that she was just tired, but for the life of her she just couldn't pick her arm up. She concentrated very hard on speaking, but she just couldn't make the words come out, or even make her mouth move right. Her breathing began to slow and she couldn't muster the energy to force the air into her lungs. She closed her eyes, ready to just go to sleep while she felt like she was floating.

But she kept hearing a familiar voice calling her name from very far away. She couldn't open her eyes to see who it was. She couldn't even think about who it could be. She wanted to sleep, but they kept calling her. Why couldn't she hear what they were saying? She tried to focus on the voice. She couldn't go to sleep not knowing what whoever it was  _wanted_. It would give her nightmares, she just knew it. But she was so. Tired.

* * *

Creed laughed as he lay not far from the couple, truly enjoying the show as the little woman started to fade away. Logan was unable to tear himself from K as he called to her to hold on while Hank worked like a mad man to stop the bleeding.

"She's slipping. What …. How could this happen?" Jean asked in whispered tones as she assisted Henry on trying to get K stable enough to move to the med lab. They simply couldn't find the reason for her sudden and devastating inability to heal and she was losing blood faster than they could give it to her.

"I was hopin' to hit you, runt. Gonna almost be sorry to see this one go. She was pretty damn good," Creed gloated with a fond smirk on his face.

But for as hard as it was to miss Logan's growl, it was impossible to miss the fury on Jean's face. "What did you do, Victor?" Jean demanded. Her hands were still on one of K's wounds as she held pressure to stem the flow of blood.

"Why the hell would I tell you? You can find out on autopsy, ya pesty little mind witch," Creed responded.

And before Jean could react, Logan snapped. He didn't care what his teammates thought. He'd shown too much restraint for far too long with this idiot.

Without even moving K's head from his lap he popped his claws and whipped his arm over to remove Creed's head from his shoulders.

With the noise level down, Henry worked much better and in a matter of minutes he gave them the signal to move her – fast. Logan went with Jean and Hank as the three of them rushed her to the med bay. He never left K's side as they worked on her treatment.

Scott booted Creed's head a few feet away from his body. He simply didn't trust leaving it that close. He was going to keep control of the scene and wait for Stark to show.

As he watched over the mess, Jubilee slowly approached Scott. "Is he – dead?" she asked warily as she eyed the massive body in front of them.

"For now," Scott replied as he rested his hand on her shoulder. Jubilee hugged him around the middle as she looked at Creed's still body – it was as if she half expected him to simply stand up at any moment and come after them like some horrible psycho killer movie villain.

"I'm going to wait for the Avengers to show. Why don't you just go on inside," Scott told her with a warm, fatherly tone. She gave him another quick hug and left him though she did look over her shoulder a few times as she went, still in disbelief that Creed of how it had all gone down. Now she just had to hope that Hank could figure out how to keep K from joining him and Logan from disappearing.

* * *

Stark landed about five minutes before the transport did. "That's gruesome." Tony said as the face came off his armor. "How's Logan? This guy looks rough," Stark said, as he eyed the many slash marks and stab wounds littering Creed's body, though many appeared to be half healed.

"He's fine. Not a scratch. K's in the lab though. He did something to her when they were fighting. Now she's not healing," Scott told him.

Stark froze mid step. His eyes widened and he stared between Sabretooth and Scott. "K did this?" he asked in total disbelief. Scott nodded and Stark looked deep in thought before he turned and rushed for the lab. "I'll be right back, don't mean to leave you with the dirty job but - it was your team that did it!"

In the lab, Hank and Celia had gotten K's bleeding to slow, and when Tony got there, Logan was hooked up with a heavy duty looking IV as they transfused her with his blood. He was just giving her everything he could to keep her going as he sat next to her in a bed. Logan looked up at Stark as he entered - still in his armor.

He stepped forward and the mask went back on as he started giving Jarvis some orders. He stood over the unconscious woman and scanned her body while Logan and Hank both watched him with identical looks of doubt. The scan stopped and a laser focused itself on her leg where the wound was deepest and hardest to stop blood flow.

"Doc, it appears as though there is a shard of carbonadium near that artery. Might want to test her blood – if there's any left," Stark suggested. His face was grim and his eyes were wide.

Logan swore and let out his breath. Carbonadium suspended his healing factor and from the looks of things, they should have realized it did the same to her.

Hank drew the blood and ran the tests and within a few minutes, the Shi'ar machinery confirmed Starks' scans. Hank pushed Logan out of the way and rushed to remove the shard in her leg. Of course, the bleeding picked up again from him digging for the metal and he applied pressure while Celia prepped the little used, but much threatened, dialysis machine.

If there was free floating carbonadium, it would have to come out or she wouldn't be able to recover. The dialysis machine would be able to remove the shards along with any other toxins that had accumulated since the injury.

They waited until the very last moment before they stopped the transfusion she was getting from Logan. Two hours later, the wound was finally, very slowly, starting to close. The machine had indeed removed the toxin's fast build up, and now all that was holding her back was a lack of fuel. A second scan by Stark's armor confirmed that she was clean, even as Hank insisted on running his own blood test.

With a tired look, Logan thanked Tony with a curt nod as Celia pulled the curtain around K and cut off her bloodied clothes. She'd redressed her in a hospital gown when Stark stopped Hank as the usual measures were taken when dealing with their injured feral friends.

"Why are you tying her down? That doesn't seem right," Tony said, disturbed with Hank's decision.

"It's not for her, it's for  _us_ ," Hank explained, though his tone was one that had made it clear that he'd had this talk a thousand times before. "She will most likely become very violent upon finding herself in my lab, redressed and cleaned up." As he looked up at Tony, he shortened the tether on K's wrist.

Tony almost took a step back with a deep frown as he turned toward – his distress plain to see. "This is alright with you?" Stark asked Logan as he washed the blood from K's face.

Logan shook his head, but something in his mannerisms showed that he understood it. "No it's not. Hank's just tryin' to keep himself in once piece though," Logan replied as he turned to face the billionaire. "You know, they usually do the same to me too. Things get ugly when you've been experimented on and wake up in a place like this." He held Tony's gaze for a moment before he returned to gently cleaning her up.

Stark looked her over with a frown as his eyes stopped on her left hand. "Huh," he said as he looked at the congealed blood on her hand, centering around what he was sure looked like an engagement ring. "You guys getting married?"

Logan stopped cleaning her up for a moment and looked down to his hands. "I hope so," he said quietly.

At that, Tony held his breath, realizing how delicate the whole situation was, and after a moment, he tactfully rested one hand on Logan's shoulder before he left the couple alone.


	23. Finals Time

It was silent in Chloe and Zoe's shared room as the girls and Jubilee sat staring out the window. Jubilee was chewing on her lip, her foot bouncing rapidly as she fidgeted. Chloe hugged herself tightly and Zoe stared at the floor. It had been nearly two hours since the battle Royale on the lawn and there was no word from Mr. Summers. Jubilee was nearly in tears when she spotted Stark flying away. She jumped up from her spot with the sisters following her lead moments before her door opened with Mr. Summers standing behind it.

"Have a seat, ladies." he said as the girls nervously looked between themselves. He waited until all of them had sat down before he continued. "We're pretty sure she's out of the woods. Sabretooth pulled a real number on her, but she's finally healing. She can't have any visitors though, so don't ask."

"Why can't she see anyone?" Zoe asked.

Scott sighed heavily. "The last time she woke up in a lab was not a pleasant experience. Because of that, she is a danger to anyone around her when she wakes up in a place like that. She is restrained, but I can't take the chance that something might go wrong. I can't have you girls getting hurt." he replied.

"Where's Wolvie? Does he need anything?" Jubilee asked anxiously.

"Logan is with her, and my guess is that he won't be leaving her side any time soon. He's a little bit of a mess, and I don't think I have to tell you how concerned he is. So, keeping that in mind, Jean wanted to ask you girls about a few plans for the wedding  _now_ , while the two of them are occupied. All of you are planning to attend, right?" he asked. The three girls shared a look and began to nod enthusiastically, pulling a smile from Scott in spite of himself. "Good. You'll need to go with her to find your dresses. Meet her in half an hour in the garage – and no talking about this to  _anyone_. Got it?" the three of them quickly agreed and stood up to follow him out, though they were halted when Scott pointed out to Jubilee that she needed to change her shoes – the ones she had on had a splash of blood on the toe.

* * *

The girls were getting excited. Jean had explained how K was improving rapidly, and gaining speed, though she still had yet to wake up.

"Honestly, this is probably going to be a waste of time." Betsy said, holding up a terrible sage colored strapless and pulling a face.

"You don't know that," Rouge argued as she twirled in a full tulle skirt. Apparently they hadn't decided a theme on the cut of the dress yet.

Betsy let out a scoff and shook her head, one perfectly arched eyebrow raised as she watched the southern belle. "I  _know_ what he is feeling, and what I felt from him was a big rush to make it official before something else goes wrong," Betsy said evenly. "I'll be surprised if he doesn't drag her off to elope as soon as she can stand on her own again. Not that he'd be opposed to carrying her."

The general consensus in the fitting room was that it was a very valid point, and no one was willing to argue it.

"If they elope, why do we need dresses?" Zoe asked, not liking any of the options in front of her.

The shop owner tried to help direct Zoe towards some appropriate choices, frustrated that this large group could possibly leave without a purchase after more or less taking over the whole shop.

"We  _will_ need the dresses," Jean said with a finality. " _Yes_ , he's thinking of eloping right now, but he won't do it. He won't take that route unless there is no other option. He  _wants_ his friends around." She paused as she turned to look at her profile in the blue sheath she was wearing before continuing in a much lower tone. "Besides, she's forgotten about the whole affair."

"She's forgotten about her own wedding?" Chloe said in disbelief. "How do you forget your  _own_  wedding?"

Jean grinned in response. "No date," she said. The group as a whole stopped all motion and stared at her. Jean took a deep breath, and hung up a poofy wedding dress as she prepared to elaborate. "No date means nothing on the calendar for her to stare at and worry about. She's got nothing to do with the prep, and she's been obsessed with taking out Creed for nearly a month. Her head's not in the game – she'll never see it coming."

"So they don't talk about it at all?" Zoe asked.

Betsy laughed. "She wanted to elope, and do you see Wolverine bringing up details on a wedding? Please. There's a reason he handed this off," Betsy said shrewdly.

It took them another three hours of trying on one style after another, and the seamstress measuring every one of them before the fine adjustments could be made. "What about the bride? I can't adjust her dress without measuring her," the seamstress pointed out.

But Betsy came prepared and she simply dug into her purse to hand the woman a slip of paper. "She is unable to come in. She's currently in the hospital. You understand, of course," Betsy told the woman as she smiled at her.

The seamstress looked concerned but quickly agreed, letting them know the entire order would be ready in two weeks.

"Perfect. Logan was hoping to do this right after finals are done. That will fit perfectly," Jean said with a grin.

* * *

When the women got back from shopping, they were shocked to see three florist vans parked in front of the mansion and delivery men rushing back and forth. They parked out of the way and made their way through the deliveries, stunned when they got into the house – the whole living room was loaded with flowers.

"What's going on here?" Storm asked, grinning at the colorfully wide variety of perfumed beauties.

"I'll explain when they're done." Scott said, shaking his head and looking entirely amused. It took them another fifteen minutes to finish and leave before he turned to the small group of students staring at the flower shop currently taking residence in the mansion. "I'm going to need everyone to grab some flowers and follow me – ladies, you too."

They all did as directed, following him to the med lab where the sisters were shocked to see Logan simply watching over K, his hand covering hers. At the first sound the group made, he had turned to see the commotion – but couldn't completely hide the shock on his face at the stream of flowers that were finding their way all around K's bed and the rest of the lab.

"Summers …. What the hell is this?" Logan asked as Scott handed him a note. Logan let go of K's hand long enough to read it, going from a frown to looking entirely set back. "I'll be damned."he said as he looked up at Scott.

"Stark was thinking that since the two of you are so reliant on your noses that maybe the smell of flowers would override antiseptic in the med lab, and she'd wake up calmer. He insisted on real flowers, and since it was his idea, he just sent them over," Scott explained.

"That's really not a bad idea." Logan admitted.

Scott grinned at him. "He wanted me to be  _sure_ to tell you he's not making a move," Scott said as Logan nodded.

After they set down the last of the flowers, the sisters made their way to K and Logan. He turned to look at them when both of them quickly and awkwardly gave him a hug. He stiffened up at first, not used to them acting this way around him, though he did relax when he realized what they were up to. And they realized that hugging Wolverine without warning or preface might not be the best of ideas.

"Alright. She'll be  _fine_. Go on, you can catch up with her when she's awake," Logan said gruffly. Jubilee smiled at them, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek before leaving with the sisters.

* * *

 _Not again,_  K thought. She was incredibly groggy as she tried to find her way through the fog in her head. She was cursing her luck as the sound of the beeping monitor registered, but when she concentrated, the smell of flowers surrounded her.  _Why do I smell flowers?_

"Mornin' sunshine. You gonna open your eyes or just pretend you're asleep all day?" Logan's voice broke past the beeping and she smiled contentedly as she opened her eyes. He smirked at her as he leaned in to kiss her, already untying her restraints as he leaned over her.

She chuckled when he let his hand slide into the no-fly zone as the kiss continued. When the restraints fell open, she realized she was indeed in the lab. But, that didn't explain the scent of flowers. When he broke the kiss, she looked around her in confusion. Half the lab was overflowing with flowers."Where did these come from?" she asked as she sat up and pulled the IV out of her arm.

"Stark's idea, if you can believe it," Logan said , shaking his head. "He didn't like that Hank had you restrained. He thought if the scent of the lab was drowned out with something …. nicer, you might not wake up panicking."

She looked around in shock. The most fragrant flowers were closest to her – lilacs in vases and hyacinths in full bloom in pots. The smell was nearly overwhelming. "Why didn't you just climb in with me?" she asked, getting a smirk.

"Molesting you in your sleep might be considered as assault," he deadpanned.

"Like you'd do that," she countered. "And if you did, it'd probably just wake me up faster."

"Yeah, that's a step over the line for me," Logan agreed as Hank found his way over to the couple.

"It's also a bit of a 'congratulations'," Hank told her. "The two of you thoroughly routed that cad."

"What did I miss?" she asked softly. "Because I know he wasn't dead when I passed out."

Logan gave her a very quick version of events as K tried hard to remember all the details of the encounter with Creed, ending with the explanation of how SHIELD picked up the pieces for parts unknown.

"You are very lucky, young lady," Hank told her as he interrupted Logan's recount of events and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Do you have anything to wear that doesn't leave a breeze where there should not be one?" K asked as she tried to cover herself.

Hank laughed softly and pointed out to her where she could find some sweats.

"Good lord. I feel like I'm going for some kind of record, going through these things," she griped as she pulled the top on.

"You got a way to go to catch up to the record," Logan teased as she gave Hank a little wave on the way out.

Classes were in session when they left the lab so the halls were empty as they made their way to their room. K was itching to take a shower. "So, really - what happened back there anyhow?" she asked as they climbed the stairs.

"He poisoned you. Stopped you from healin' and damn near bled you out. Thought I was gonna lose you for a little bit there" He pulled her to a stop and waited until she was watching him. "Scared the hell outta me, ya hothead. You can't do that kinda crap to me."

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly as the blush rose in her cheeks. "He was coming out of the woods ... he'd already spotted me. I just … didn't really have time to say anything," she tried to explain weakly.

"Yeah, well I call bullshit. That's not how Jubes saw it. You had time, you just wanted to take him out. I get that, but it's not just you anymore. Don't take those kinda chances. I don't wanna have to bury another woman I love," he replied, though she didn't miss the tone of irritation.

"I won't do anything like that again. I promise," she whispered back, realizing how much she'd scared him with her little stunt. Even if that really wasn't what her intention was, it was clear he was upset. He closed the door with his foot then pushed her across the room to the bed as the two of them got wrapped up in each other.

* * *

The adults of the mansion had gathered in the teacher's lounge. It was that time of year where they had to prepare the students for their finals, which at the Xavier Institute, meant that it was going to be a time of danger and excitement clashing harshly with hours of long, written tests.

K had not planned on showing up to the meeting seeing as her class was considered more of a fun thing than a real subject. That is, she wasn't going to until Logan dragged her to the meeting along with him. She didn't pay attention as they discussed the testing schedule. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and let her hair hang down over the back of it as she swayed her head. There wasn't anything better to do while she was stuck there than to feel her hair move while they argued over time slots. Since no one's test would fit in one class time, they had to concoct a schedule that would work for all of them.

Early on, K gave up even trying to pretend like she was a participant and laid her head down on her arms while they hammered out the details of who would be assisting who on each testing session. She damn near had a heart attack when the room got quiet suddenly and Scott cleared his throat.

"Will next weekend work for you?" Charles said, brushing her mind lightly to make sure she knew it was directed to her after her amazing job of ignoring everyone. K picked her head up, eyes wide as she looked from one face to the next. Logan looked incredibly amused and Charles was smirking. Everyone else had taken to simply staring.

"For … what exactly … " K replied in a bewildered tone as her gaze flicked from one face to the next.

"A practical test for the students. Will next weekend be alright?" Charles asked again with his mischievous smirk.

"Oh. A riding test?  _Oh_. Sure. That'll work, I suppose," K replied as Charles smiled at her. "But what exactly … I mean how do you want to grade it?"

"Do you need some help from the rest of the staff for testing?" Scott asked as he largely ignored her question. "Because if you do, we'll need to know now so we can make sure you have all the help you need."

She looked at Scott as her mind raced. She had no clue how to grade them on riding. It's not like it was rocket science. You keep the horse between you and the ground. She could think of nothing that would keep things interesting. Not after Logan and Kitty's classes were done testing anyhow. Bobby even planned a snowball fight for after his math class was over for the year.

"Yes … " K said slowly as she tried to decide on the fly what could be done.

"O. K. - how many?" Scott asked, flipping through his notepad to see who was available.

Jean had her hand over her mouth trying to hide the smile as K closed one eye and watched Scott type-A his way through her off the cuff responses.

"All of them," K said before she pulled her shoulders to her ears. The whole table stopped and looked at her as Jean lost her battle to keep it cool.

"Really. Everyone?" Scott said flatly then dropped his pad on the table in front of him.

K straightened up and nodded her head. She had just realized what her test could be while Scott stared at her in disbelief. "Fine. That alright with everyone?" Scott asked before he scanned the table. No one objected, not when their curiosity was peaked. "Great. You got it. Post up instructions on the board. Testing will start at 8am."

"Make it 10," K requested quickly.

Scott stopped, looked at her a moment then nodded before he changed his notes to the later time.

K turned to Logan, who was staring at her in disbelief. "What," she said as she looked him up and down. He just shook his head, sure that she'd just bullshitted her way out of an awkward situation while simultaneously getting Scott to bend at the same time. It was pretty entertaining.

"Lastly – the art class," Scott continued as half of the staff already began to look away and avoid his gaze. "As always they will need a model. Who's turn is it this year?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"K's never done it," Remy said with a smile.

K looked over to him and shrugged. "Sure, why not," She replied easily before she leaned back in her chair.

"Even if they're drawin' nudes?" Logan asked her with his eyebrows drawn together. It was obvious he didn't like this plan of action.

"Why not," She replied easily. "I'll make sure I wax."

Bobby barely covered his mouth to stifle the laugh in time as she looked at him like the immature child that he could so often be, but when Logan glared at him, Bobby cleared his throat, crossed his arms and sat back in his chair.

"That ain't gonna fly," Logan told her as his expression suddenly turned very serious.

"Well … it's not like I'm giving dances. It's just drawing. I don't mind," she told him as the group watched the discussion.

"Too goddamned bad, I don't like it," he growled out.

"Logan, you're making a big deal about this. All of us have modeled for the class before, and they're  _not_ doing nudes. You know it's no biggie," Kitty told him, though she knew full well that he wasn't going to let this go very easily.

"Hypocrite," K said as she did her very best to sound scandalized, her eyes sparkling as a smile lit up her face. It was about all that Scott could do to keep from smiling, and it was clear to everyone there that Logan was getting angry with her. Kitty held her breath as K opened her mouth with a snarky comment ready to fly.

"No nudes," Scott interjected. "It's always with a leotard so Logan, don't have a coronary." It was a solid intervention before K could strike back, and a hail Mary in hope of defusing the situation.

K stared at Scott like he ran over her dog.

"Of course, Tovarich," Piotr said with a smirk, entertained at Logan's possessive streak that was starting to rear it's ugly head. The rest of the meeting went off without any further problems as K's hand rested on Logan's thigh as a kind of peace offering. After they dispersed, Logan tried to pull her upstairs with him.

"Hey, I have a test to prep for mister," K told him as she pulled her hand free.

He smiled a little and crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. "Oh yeah? You actually got a plan in mind or are you just givin' me a hard time?" totally unconvinced that she was really ready to drop the little argument from earlier.

"Little bit of both," she admitted freely. "But, I really do have to talk to Scott, I have a list of things I'm going to need before the weekend for this ….  _test_."

Logan looked surprised. "I thought you were teasin'. What kind of things do you need?" he asked, curious now as to what she had brewing.

"Oh, you know …. some stuff I can just get from around the property … logs and things, but I need a few ropes, some barrels, poles, a mailbox, flares, some lumber, oh - and  _of course_ , I'll need a backhoe," K rattled off quickly. He was sure she was pulling his leg with that list.

"Please. You don't need all that crap just for a riding test," he growled out.

"How many riding tests have you run? None? That's what I thought. Tell you what – if you're nice, you can help me – but not with the backhoe. That baby's gonna be all mine. I love those things."

Logan couldn't tell if she was teasing him or not, but before he could figure it out, Kurt interjected. "I'll help you," he offered with a grin. "And I have no interest in teasing you."

"Today."

"Let's not get carried away. Just right now," Kurt countered.

K smirked at him and nodded. "You got it," she said as she took Kurt's arm and the two of them started off toward Scott.

Logan let out a sigh and caught up with them to take K's other arm. "What the hell. I wanna see the look on Scooter's face when you tell him you need heavy equipment," He replied with a shrug as his curiosity outweighed his irritation from earlier.

In short, it was totally worth it when K handed Scott the list of things she would need for the riding tests. As he read through it, his face betrayed his disbelief at some of the items she had requested.

"You really need all this stuff?" Scott asked.

"Unless you want them falling asleep in the saddle. You said  _test_. This will make one helluva test," she explained.

"And I'll be the supervisor," Kurt offered, grinning broadly. "What trouble would that possibly be?"

"That's not real reassuring," Scott said flatly as he looked at the three of them. But he couldn't figure out for the life of him what she was up to, and instead, he promised to get her everything on the list.

* * *

K had trouble getting away from Logan the morning of the Art Class's final. He tried to keep her from getting dressed, but that backfired spectacularly when she told him she'd just walk down without any clothes. He backpedaled and finally grudgingly handed her the leotard in exchange for a kiss.

The art class went well, though she was more than ready to move by the time she was done. She had to laugh when Logan and Kurt both checked in with the class – entirely to be obnoxious.

"You're both terrible," K said as she pulled her robe on at the end of class.

"But you love us anyhow, right?" Kurt prompted.

"Of course," she replied before she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have no choice in the matter. You're both so charming." She leaned over to give Logan a kiss and tried to get out of his grip before he talked her into playing hooky. "Now if you don't mind, I have work to get done," K told him, turning in his arms to kiss him better.

"Yeah, but we're your crew," Logan pointed out, and when she looked over her shoulder at Kurt, he only grinned back at her.

She let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. I'll go get ready. Meet me in the foyer. I want to get some work done before Scott comes out and tries to rain on my parade."

* * *

Riding was set to be the last test the students took before classes were out for the summer. The morning of the test K gave a very loose set of instructions to all the staff as she set them in different spots throughout the course and told them how to score the students.

Once everyone was in place, she ran through the course for the teachers to show them exactly what they were supposed to do. Most of them wanted to try it themselves before the day was out. When the students showed up, she gave them the instructions and picked up a stop watch.

"This is an extreme-style cowboy race, kids. You will have twenty five obstacles, and it is  _timed_. Accuracy and time counts. Most accurate and fastest rides will both get a prize," K promised.

She took the students to a spot where they could see the whole course, told them the path of the race and answered any questions on what to do.

The first few riders had a tough time, but made it through the course and were laughing by the end of it. Everyone stayed to watch their classmates and cheer them on. They counted it as a bonus when the teachers took the course on too. Many of them were laughing even harder than the students when Hank's horse wouldn't move halfway through or when Remy tried to go too fast for his skills and ended up on the ground.

K was about to announce the winners for most accurate and fastest when Jubilee suggested that she and Logan run the course as a  _real_ race – one on one. K laughed it off, ready to wave off the suggestion when Logan agreed.

"You're kidding right?" K said as she looked at him in disbelief. He just smirked at her.

"Nope, everyone's had fun with it and a couple of these punks have money on it that I'll fall off. They're still mad about how the combat class test ended up."

She looked at the student body, many of which she just then realized were sporting spectacular bruises. "If you feel the need to get beat, alright then," K shrugged. They both went to the starting line and the kids choose the horses for them. "Mount up at the signal to go?" she asked Logan. He just smirked in response and nodded.

They both got ready, and on Scott's signal they both jumped.

Logan got the start on her, but she took off before her feet were in the stirrups. And the whole race ran that way. Logan would gain a little just to lose it at the next obstacle, and gain it in the following one.

Both students and staff were cheering as the couple got knock down drag out competitive. K even reached over and acted as though she was going to untie his saddle.

In the end, she edged him out by two lengths. From the finish line, Scott took over and announced who won between the two grinning ferals – not that anyone was in doubt on the finish.

K looked around laughing as she tried to regain her thoughts when Logan just grabbed her and planted a kiss on her. She was totally distracted for a moment until he reminded her she had awards to hand out. She grinned at him for a moment before she remembered what she was doing and reached into her back pocket to pull the award envelopes out.

"You can help me hand out the prizes," K told him with a grin as she handed them to him and turned back to the waiting student body.

"Most accurate run goes to Jubilee," she announced and gladly gave the little firecracker a hug when she came up to claim her prize. "Good job, kiddo," she beamed at her as Logan gave her a squeeze and an envelope containing a wad of cash.

"And fastest run belongs to Hisako. Nice work, speed demon," K told her as she awkwardly gave K a quick hug and smiled when Logan allowed a little squeeze and handed her an envelope identical to Jubilee's. K turned to look at Logan then back to the school in general as Scott dismissed them with some final announcements before the break began.

The couple leaned on the fence and watched as the crowd dispersed and a few of the students volunteered to put the horses up. K was enjoying the late afternoon when Logan took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers. She smiled absently as his thumb stroked hers. He pulled her gently to him then pinned her arms behind her back and kissed her against the fence post.

"Get yer bags packed, sweetheart. We got a little trip to go on in the mornin'," he told her when their kiss ended. She wrinkled her forehead, clueless as to what he had in mind and he smiled at her expression – a sure tip off that she didn't have clue one before he led her up to the house.


	24. Tying The Knot

Morning came waaay too early for K after the night Logan had treated her to. How the hell was he even awake and upright already? "What the hell …" K complained as he tried to wake her up.

"C'mon, darlin' we gotta get rollin'," he warned her as he gently rubbed her shoulder. She responded by pulling the blanket over her head and curling up on herself into a ball. He let out a chuckle before he tried to coax her. When that didn't work the way he wanted to, he pulled the blanket from her.

The morning sun was way brighter than she thought it should be as the blanket came off her face. She scowled at him then cracked one eye open from under the arm that was crossed over her face. She slowly stretched out and rolled over sleepily. Then she arched her back in a stretch before she went right back to burying herself in the pillows again. She peeked at him through the hair over her face. "Isn't there any way I can get you to stay in bed for another half hour? Please?" she asked as sweetly as she could manage as she tried to bribe him into it without risking anything with a bet. He watched her flirt and tease, and with a growl he decided to give her what she wanted – sort of.

He smirked as he climbed back on the bed and hovered over her peppering her with kisses and nips. He started at her neck and slowly worked his way down to her hips. She was fully awake by the time he changed his position.

The sparkle in his eyes when he paused should have tipped her off … that was his final warning shot that she should just do what he said, but she waved at that warning as it went by … particularly since he'd been so nice about the next part in the past …

But he just stopped. And she picked up her head to see what exactly the hold up was. "Why did you stop?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"You gonna behave now?" he asked as he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip.

"Um … if you get back to what you were doing, then yes."

"I was getting packed to leave," Logan said with a self satisfied smile, before he released his grip on her ankle and climbed off the bed  _before_ he offered to help her upright. She stared up at him, half breathless as he smirked at her.

"I will get you back – you know that, right?" she promised with a dark look on her face.

He grinned as he pulled her upright. "God I hope so. Come on, get packin'," he replied as he headed off to shower and let her get dressed.

"You talk a good game, but you know you want to stay in bed for another couple hours," K called out.

"I absolutely do," he called back without missing a beat.

She shook her head to herself and had slipped on a blue flannel shirt when he came back out. "I can't pack until you tell me where we're heading," she told him as she buttoned.

He pulled her to him and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. He didn't want to have her run off when he told her what he had in mind. "It's June, sweetheart. We've had a couple too many close calls for my comfort," Logan told her and for K, comprehension finally dawned.

" _Oh,_  you … you mean ... you want … it's .. it's time we...oh … wow," she stammered quietly, her eyes wide as her nerves caught up to her.

"Yeah," he cut her off and just watched the shock wash over her.

"Well, we, we … don't have anything figured out …. I mean, you said you wanted to do it right, right?" she started to babble. She started to wonder out loud how in depth he'd gotten as her hands went numb.

He shook his head at her with his eyes closed and shoulders relaxed as he tried to will her anxiety away. "I said I wanted a ceremony. Only thing I got planned is the minister," he clarified. That seemed to actually work, to his great relief.

"Welllll … okay then. A slightly more formal version of eloping is it?" she asked.

He nodded and her tension seemed to ease considerably. He relaxed a bit more himself. It was a very real concern of his that she would just panic and cancel – maybe even disappear. "What do you say, darlin'?"

She thought about it a few seconds as her heart raced. She didn't realize that she was nodding until she said yes. He kissed her tenderly then with a final squeeze, he released her to step back and pick up her bag. "Wait … what about the ..." she began as her anxiety started to ratchet up again, but he cut her off before she could get too far into it.

"Relax. You love me right?" he asked, she nodded. "Well, I love you, so - what are you waiting for?"

She sighed. "It's more complex than that – and you damn well know it." She was going to argue it further, but the positive, hopeful expression on his face was just … irresistible. "You know, I really hate when you're right," she conceded as she resigned herself to the task at hand and followed his lead.

* * *

The mansion was buzzing. It seemed that everyone knew what was going on but K, and she'd been so busy setting up for the riding test that she simply hadn't been in the house very much. Her time around the buzz was limited and Logan was monopolizing the time she had left when she  _was_ in the house.

Chloe and Jubilee were enjoying their breakfast, high with anticipation over the next couple of days. Their excitement level was palpable, which was why Jean had insisted they stay in the kitchen to avoid tipping off K.

"She's not going to know what's going on until he hands her off to us, so just relax and wait. Don't say a word." Jean told them. Zoe took her seat next to Jubilee with a sigh just as K and Logan hit the bottom of the stairs where the women were gathered up.

K barely registered the group of X-women waiting for her, though their ranks were peppered with a few faces she'd never met before. Just before they reached them, Logan kissed her. Not in a simple 'I love you' kiss but one of those kisses that turned her knees to jelly and stole the last little bit of her breath until she was holding onto him for support. All while he seemed to simply be casually enjoying himself as he pulled her tightly to him.

He gave her another quick, chaste kiss, murmured out a low  _"love you"_  then simply handed her off to the crowd of women that K realized was still standing there. "See ya tomorrow, darlin'," he said with a smirk as a tall unfamiliar redhead took her hand from him.

She whistled low as his back retreated from view down the hall. "I have never seen him quite like that," she said just before she pulled K into a hug and  _then_  introduced herself as one of Logan's oldest and dearest friends – Heather Hudson. He had, of course, mentioned Heather to her before … he'd just forgotten to mention how absolutely gorgeous she was.

"Seriously, what is with him and all these hot redheads?" Zoe whispered to Chloe as they stepped up behind Jubilee, who giggled in response and slapped at their hands to get them to hush.

"Logan said you banned the girls from planning out a wedding for the two of you?" Heather asked with her brow wrinkled up. "Why? They wouldn't have gone overboard."

K pulled herself out of her haze to answer her. "They'd already gone over board when I banned them," K replied as she looked over to Jean who shrugged without the least bit of regret.

"So sue me. I wanted to make it nice for you, so did everyone else," Jean said in a slightly grumpy tone as she stood next to Heather. They could practically be sisters, if not for the stupid Canadian accent.

"Which is why we asked Heather to figure out the details for you. She's not a member of the team, so  _technically_ , you didn't ban her," Jean said with a smile as she waved the loop hole in front of K's nose.

"I did get  _some_ help," Heather admitted. Jean and Logan both had warned her of how skittish the little woman was and she did not want to start off on the wrong foot with Logan's bride – or worse yet be the impetus that made the woman run from him.

"No, we were only  _consulted_ ," Ororo insisted. "We did not  _help_ , though we wish we could have."

Before K could gather her senses enough to protest or get too nervous at the implications, they'd sprung into action and dragged her to the garage to leave while the women she didn't know drew her attention by introducing themselves to her, trying to pull from K how she'd stolen Logan's heart. Before she could get too uncomfortable though, Betsy mercifully intervened.

"It was instant and mutual," Betsy said as she turned to face the new women.

"What exactly is going on? I thought all that was planned was the minister. That's what I was told," K said looking nervous. Chloe was laughing to herself at K's nervousness.

"No, dear. That's all Logan had planned. He gave us the green light for the rest," Heather explained.

"That dirty rotten son of a.."

" _No_ , he was just trying to make this right. Don't get mad at him. He doesn't even know what we have pulled together – and believe me, it's pulled together," Heather said in a tone that meant she was deadly serious. "Nowhere on the planet has as short of a lead time as we actually had. Asking for availability for a whole month is ridiculous." Heather simply ignored her discomfort and started to pull in the newer faces, trying to use small talk as a buffer while Jean monitored her mental state. There was no way in hell Jean was going to let K disappear on her watch. The bride would be delivered to the ceremony come hell or high water.

* * *

The women spent the next few hours in New York, with Pepper meeting them with a grin at the lobby of a massively overly fancy hotel.

"Sorry I'm late. Come on, we have to get moving, our appointment is in fifteen minutes," Pepper told them. Heather took K by the arm and led her into the lobby, with the girls following close behind her with Jubilee.

"Seriously," Zoe said as she stared at Pepper. "This brings the hot redhead count up to three so far." But that just got Jubilee and Chloe cackling.

"So what are we doing now?" K asked as she watched Pepper moving the group along and Heather continued to grin.

"Well, it's supposed to be a surprise, but we thought we'd do the whole bachelorette thing today. It's the spa first, then … well, you'll see," Heather answered.

K came to a dead stop looking completely unamused. "OK, you can just stop. I'm out," K said turning in her tracks towards the door.

"You can't just leave!" Pepper said, her eyes wide.

"Actually, yes. I can. Then I can disappear into this stinking city. I figure I'd have a couple hours before you got Logan here to try to find me," K replied as Heather grabbed her hands.

"You wouldn't really do that to him would you?" Heather asked. " _Tell me you wouldn't do that._ "

K closed her eyes and sighed. "I didn't agree to this."

"Please – just do this with us, it's more for  _us_ anyhow. Please?" Jean said "I promise we'll make it fun!"

The look on K's face read was pure discomfort. "How about you girls go to the spa and …  _whatever_ and just take me somewhere for a nice root canal?  _That_ sounds better," K replied.

"Oh, come on – let us treat you," Pepper said as she made her way over and rested her arm around K's shoulders. "Tony's footing the bill for today. He doesn't know it, but after the way he's been acting …. I thought it was an appropriate apology from him."

K smirked as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Jean was watching her closely, the two women's gazes locked as K's eyes unfocused. After a moment, she sighed and dipped her head, whispering a quiet "Alright. I'll do my best. Just … don't go too crazy on me."

Chloe threw her arms around K's shoulders, bouncing her into Heather, who joined in the hug.

K's patience was tested nearly immediately when they checked in at the full service spa, and ended up spending the next several hours there. The sisters were in heaven. They all received the full treatment – hot rocks, facials, body scrubs, massages, and Mani-pedis. The next stop was to a suite that Pepper had booked specifically for the women to spend a little down time and be ridiculous.

The girls had slipped out on Jean's orders with both Mr. Le Beau and Mr. Stark's credit lines with the intent to pick up whatever they were lacking and meet them at the hotel. The girls themselves had opted out of the massage portion of the day, giving them time to help arrange the surprise. K had tried to leave too, but Jean was ready for her, knocking her out with a psychic suggestion so the girls could get away.

They took their time, exploring the city a little as their shopping options were limited – the women in the lingerie shop eyeing them suspiciously as they sheepishly made their way through the store. There was nothing that they felt comfortable touching, let alone picturing K wearing for Logan. No, that was a little too grown up for them just yet. Maybe anonymously, for a joke, but like this? No.

"I got it." Chloe said with a smirk. "We leave the lingerie store and go find her a flannel shirt."

Zoe laughed out loud, but agreed readily, rushing off to find something that would be appreciated by their friend, wrapping it carefully, packaging it as lingerie. They'd have to make sure she opened that one last.

When they got to the suite, the women were all there, and although K had been mostly compliant, she looked less relaxed than the rest of the women. Her hair had been tamed a little, her soft wavy curls lying totally flat. Betsy and Jean had their eyebrows freshly shaped, all of them had a bit of a rosy glow. Betsy rushed to them, helping them to unload the packages, smiling at them when she read their thoughts on what they'd bought for her.

"Perfect, girls. Is this the box?" Betsy asked. Zoe nodded. "We'll make sure she gets that last. You don't know it, and perhaps I shouldn't tell you, but this over a black lacy number will be perfect. Best of both worlds as it were."

Predictably, K was less than amused by the lacy offerings, though she made her best attempt to laugh it off, looking totally lost when she opened the flannel shirt.

"Thought you'd need something warm to wear after he tears up all this, most likely." Heather deadpanned.

K bit her lip as her gaze met the girls'.

" _NO_. We just couldn't buy her something that … that … frilly." Zoe spit out.

K smirked as she thanked them, her manicure looking like it belonged on someone else as she clutched the flannel shirt to her chest. Clearly, her favorite selection. They spent the next few hours in the suite, the women exchanging stories about past loves, near misses, and Logan while K took it all in as she learned where everyone fit into his past. The teenagers sat close to K, listening as she was. Chloe was shocked when K nestled down and rested her head on her shoulder.

"This crap's for the birds, Chlo," K whispered. "If you're still around these people when you find the right person – do. Not. Let them. Plan it." Her statement got giggles from both girls.

"What, would you rather elope?" Jubilee asked.

K picked up her head and nodded her head slowly and surely. "Yes. In that flannel shirt," K replied, the three teenagers fell into a fit of laughter. Before they could honestly call it an evening, however, Pepper checked her watch and grinned.

"I hate to call it a night, ladies, but I have some last minute arrangements to take care of – someone has to keep Stark Industries running and it sure isn't Mr. Stark. Happy will make sure you all get into the jet and squared away," Pepper announced then grinned at K. "You've been a great sport. See you tomorrow."

With that, they all started gathering themselves up, and heading out. "Why are we leaving?" Zoe asked.

"They're not getting married  _here_. We're going to one of Logan's hideaways,"Jubilee informed them.

"That's right, and even though the flight isn't long, everyone rest up," Ororo directed to the teenagers.

As they got up to the jet, Zoe's mouth dropped. Not only were they using Mr. Stark's private jet – but apparently she had a date for the wedding. Sam was standing on the runway next to Happy, looking completely overwhelmed and wide eyed. Zoe shouted out to her and ran over, Happy bristling a little as the two girls laughingly embraced.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe said with a huge grin.

"I invited her," Jean cut in. "K said you should have your date with you for the wedding if she was free." Zoe turned and shouted her thanks to K, who just smiled in return with a little wave.

On board, the women grouped up as Chloe expected. The women of Xaviers were in a group to the front of the plane, Alpha Flight's women were in a second group towards the center, so the teenagers chose a spot near the back of the plane, shocked when they found K nearly tucked away in the furthest point, hugging her knees as she stared out the window.

"Are you alright, K?" Sam asked as she sat down nearby.

"Sure, just wondering if I can jump out of this damn thing and live through it," K replied, sounding far too serious for the sisters to ignore. "Worked from a helicopter …"

Within moments, Jean was looking over the sister's shoulders. "K, you need rest. Why don't you just go to sleep," Jean said, concentrating on her. K nodded as her eyes closed, leaning against the chair she was in, her muscles relaxing instantly. "This is so hard for her, and it doesn't  _need_ to be. I know she wants him, so why is this so difficult? It's usually the  _man_ that has commitment issues," Jean said shaking her head.

"Should they even be getting married if she's this worked up?" Zoe asked.

"She'll be fine once it's over, believe me. Deep, deep down, she wants this as much as he does," Jean told her.

"So, is this your Aunt? Or …." Sam asked as she looked over at the now sleeping K.

"She's a friend. Helped us out a lot when we were on the run," Zoe answered.

"You're really lucky that you're in an area that's more tolerant. Our parents helped us hide it for a while," Chloe said.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sam agreed. "Though I wish they'd let me go to Xavier's. It would be nice to relax in school a little."

"I could talk to your parents, Sam," Jean cut in. "Sorry to eavesdrop, but I may be able to help. You could perhaps just go to the school – there isn't a requirement to stay there all the time."

Sam's face lit up. "Really? Because that was their whole argument! They didn't want me gone overnight to a school that's so close," Sam said with a grin, with Zoe grinning wider as they squeezed hands. "Are you sure it's not a problem?"

"It's what I do. Usually though, it's to families that don't realize their child is a mutant," Jean replied, and the girls launched into a giggling mess as they discussed the possibilities.

As the plane landed, Jean gently woke up K, who seemed to forget what was going on for a moment, Jean's suggestion to sleep was still strong in her mind. The car ride was long and increasingly bumpy as they neared their destination with Heather leading the charge.

"This is close to where we found him years ago," Heather said to Jean and K. "I wonder if he remembers the spot. It was snowing that day."

She led them into the large lakeside cabin with a smile, gesturing broadly at their surroundings. "This is our cabin, K. Logan's is still a good distance from here. He and the men should be there now. I can't  _believe_ he's let so many people near his place," Heather explained as the group made their way into the house, where a rack full of dresses was waiting for them there.

"Everyone rest up, we start early tomorrow." Jean announced as she steered K off to the master bedroom, still groggy from earlier – it wasn't hard for the two redheads to get her to bed. The rest of them however were far too excited to sleep.

* * *

That night, the guys were getting loud and doing their best to try and give Logan a hard time, but he was in fine form and rolling with everything with an ease that spoke volumes of his mental state.

The liquor was flowing freely and  _everyone_ had brought some to the party. Nightcrawler was nearly falling down drunk already as he took it as a personal crusade to enthusiastically enjoy keeping Logan out of trouble 'one last time'. Logan of course, spent the better part of the evening trying to catch up to the Elf's buzz.

Logan was more than a little surprised when the tall quiet man that Scott had been chatting with finally got a moment to introduce himself as K's old friend Bill, from Superior.

Scott looked at him strangely as he shook Logan's hand. "Superior? As in the lake?" Scott asked.

Bill just laughed a bit at him. "No, the state. The  _Superior_ State," Bill told him – clearly he thought he'd just let the man in on the joke but Scott stared at him blankly. "The Yoop, boy. Better half of Michigan."

Recognition finally dawned. "Must be a local thing," Scott muttered before he tried to just get into his drink, but Bill was entirely too entertained.

"What the hell're you teachin' those kids at the school if you don't even know that much?" Bill teased.

Logan smirked at Scott's frown while Bill shook his head and turned his attention to the groom.

He congratulated Logan on landing the girl then explained that back home, she had a bit of a reputation of being a hell raiser, though she rarely, if ever took up any of the guys on their offers for anything but fishing. According to Bill, she'd been more than happy to drink with them, hunt and fish with them, but no matter how smitten or sweet the guys were toward her, she turned down their romantic offers across the board.

"I dunno what you did to get her, mister, but I can tell ya it had to be a hat trick. Damn near every guy back home woulda given his left arm just for a chance. You just don't find women like that," Bill lamented as he shook his head.

Logan chuckled to himself – so among her friends, she had a known reputation as a hard ass. Why was he not surprised? "If she never took up with anyone, Bill, where do you come in?" Logan asked as Bill looked a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, I'm not too proud to admit I tried, but you know when a girl ain't interested. I swallowed my pride and just made friends with her instead. Good thing I did too – I'd have missed out on a helluva lotta fun if I'd just wrote her off. Ya know, she worked for me at my barn for a while, training the horses. When she took off, I offered to take care of her cottage for her until she got back. To be honest, it'd been long enough, I started to think she mighta gotten herself into a tight spot or killed when I never heard nothin' from her. I was awful glad to hear she was alive an' well when that Summers woman called," Bill told him with a fond smile.

But several things in that little story caught Logan's attention – and being the opportunist he was, he figured a liquored up old friend would spill his secrets much faster than a sober one. After Logan spent some time plying him with liquor, he struck.

"Why'd she leave anyhow?" Logan asked casually. If all Bill said was true, then he was very curious as to why she'd leave a good group of friends and a job that let her do what she loved.

"She didn't tell ya, eh?" he replied with a little slur as he met Logan's gaze, "I'm not surprised. Never seen her so damned upset or pissed off than she was that day." His eyes narrowed as he watched Logan's reactions.

"To be honest, I never asked 'er," Logan said with a shrug. "Don't usually spend too much time in a girl's past."

"Well, the MRD came a knockin' so to speak. Now, a few of us knew she was a mutant – myself included, but we didn't care. She was good company, she never did nothin to anyone, and easy on the eyes – don't take offense now," Bill said, holding up both hands. "Anyhow, some fella she'd turned down at the bar saw her get hurt on a horse real bad. Said she broke her neck." Bill paused and shook his head sadly. "Anyhoo, he rushed in there, ready to call the ambulance when he said she kinda cracked her neck and stretched out. She just healed right there like that and sat up. At first, that fella was scared of what he saw, then he got nasty with her. She tried like hell to convince him he didn't see what he saw, but you don't see stuff like that every day and he knew."

He sounded down just relaying the story. "He still was pretty chapped that she turned him down flat not even a week or so before. He figured he had an advantage in the situation once he knew what she was. The bastard told her she'd have to screw him from there on out, or he'd call her in. He even went so far as to put his hands on her and start unzippin'. He sure figured he had her over a barrel. Wasn't expectin' her to get mad. And  _boy_ – did she ever get ticked. Way I heard it, she half beat the hell outta him and told him to do a few things to himself man just can't do, I'm sure. So … he called her in," Bill said with a little shrug. "The horse was still in the pen when she come up to the house. All shakin', and in tears. I tried to get her to wait, but she ran off and just disappeared into the woods. A couple of us beat the hell outta him whenever we saw him until he moved away. Don't know what ever happened to him, to be honest."

Logan's temper flared on hearing that a stupid, petty misogynist had set off a miserable chain of events for her.

"But," the big man continued. "Looks like that's all in the past. It worked out for the best. She's got a guy that can handle her, eh?" Logan took it as the complement it was meant to be and handed Bill another beer as he clapped him on the back with Kurt singing loudly in the background.

* * *

The morning of the wedding was beautiful. Perfect clear blue skies graced K with birds singing just outside of her bedroom window and the smell of fresh flowers was slowly augmented with the rich warm tone of coffee.

She was awakened fully by Kitty bearing a gift of a tall mimosa while she swore to her that it was good for the nerves.

"It would be if I didn't need to drink a gallon of them," K muttered before she tipped the glass back. She got three sips in before Ororo removed it from her death grip and sent her into the shower. Fifteen minutes later, they descended on her head before she had even the chance to dry off. K sat there in a towel, self conscious while the most beautiful and formidable women in the world fussed over her hair and makeup. It had her feeling quite small.

"Ladies, really, we were talking about blue jeans yesterday, there is  _no_ need for all this, just let me pull it into a ponytail, I'm sure Kurt won't judge," K said as she tried to wave them off. It was one thing to agree to a wedding – another to agree to a full platoon of make over specialists.

All motion stopped and they pulled back to face her – each woman with an incredulous look on her face. "A ponytail? Please tell me this is your poor attempt at a joke," Betsy frowned.

"No, seriously, just let me do this easy ... please?" K nearly begged.

Jean knew this would happen eventually – she just hoped that K would have just kept it to herself and humored the women around her.

"Not a chance," Heather replied with conviction, " _You_  may have not known about this until yesterday, but  _we_ have been planning since he proposed. Logan doesn't even know what all is going on."

K gasped as she looked around the room at them and it started to hit her. "Oh no. Oh … come on. What happened to you didn't have anything to do with it?" K asked, anxious as she looked up at Jean, who shrugged noncommittally before she came clean.

Jean needed K to understand why eloping was not an option. "Just about every time there is a wedding for one of us it gets ruined.  _He needs this_  way more than he realizes, especially after Mariko left him at the altar. Now, that's not going to happen today, right?" Jean asked as she snatched up K's hand on the premise of double checking the manicure that was not even twelve hours old.

"I can't really compare to that, ladies. I'm not that kind of girl, the high brow sophisticated type." She looked at the beauties around her and bit her lip. "They were  _all_ special," K said with a little frown. "I'm just more …  _durable_. That's all."

Shock was written on all their faces, but it was Kitty that broke the silence.

"You're joking. You have to be joking," Kitty said with a tone of pure disbelief.

"You, young lady are far prettier and more special than you give yourself credit for," Jean said, brushing off K's argument as if it was a bothersome fly. "Trust me on this. You don't  _need_  us to do all this … fussing to make you gorgeous, but it's your wedding! Just wait until you see yourself in the mirror. You are stunning and don't even know it." She frowned, concentrating hard on making K's hair just so, then stopped, still irritated with K's assessment. "But, if you  _really_ want to fight us, I'll just put a whammy on you long enough for us to get you ready. You'll wake up as you're walking down the aisle. You are a once in a lifetime girl. If you don't believe me, ask Logan. He's old enough to know the difference," Jean finished.

There was just enough of an edge to her tone to let K know she wasn't fooling. So she ignored the nagging self doubt that had taken residence in her head and she resigned herself to them and their very stylish clutches. While Heather started to help Jean curl her hair, K found she was laughing to herself about Jean's comments.  _Young lady. Heh._  She was feeling her age … and it was nowhere near young.

Betsy smiled up at her as she opened up what looked like a glorified tool box overflowing with lotions, potions, and makeup of all varieties. She directed K to hold still and close her eyes so she could work.

"I know how to put on makeup, you know, I just don't  _like_ to," K grumbled under her breath as Betsy started on her canvas.

"Whatever. No one here has ever seen you really dolled up.  _Ever_. So, until we've seen it, we can't believe it. If no one saw it, it didn't happen!" Jubilee tossed out at her.

" _Et tu_ , Jubilation?" K growled. "I've worn dresses – I've looked ... nice. It's just that … people usually die when I do that."

"Lip gloss and mascara are not makeup on their own. They are components," Jubilee defended.

K stole a glance at the girl and let out a sigh. That comment just made her feel about thirty years older than she was …

"OK, time to get dressed ladies." Jean said with a warm smile and light dancing in her eyes.

K didn't see her dress before she was stepping into it.

As she started to look down, Ororo swept her hair off her shoulders and held it up as Jean zipped it up. It felt good … smooth silk all around her. Before K could look into the mirror, they turned her around to face them as they fussed over the way her hair fell here and there. They took turns rearranging the new curls on her shoulders as Betsy triple checked her makeup.

"How are you doing?" Jean asked as she bit her lip. "Nervous?"

"A little, why?" K asked, concerned there was a problem.

"I just don't want you to mess us your makeup," she replied as she gently spun her on the spot so she could see herself.

K simply didn't recognize the woman in the mirror. Perfect hair and makeup accentuated her high cheekbones and dark eyes. Even her lips that she thought were a bit too thin looked kissable even to her.

The dress that they had chosen looked like something that had fallen from a magazine. Two thin sparkling straps held up an ethereal almost fairy like dress of white magical looking silk. It was fitted at her breasts and partway down her torso. From there, the silk gathered seamlessly to float down gently over her hips to pool at her feet.

She turned to one side and her eyebrows raised a hair when she saw how much silk was waiting to dance behind her as she walked. It wasn't a train … thank God, but if her guess was right … it would certainly be eye catching. No matter which way K turned, no matter the direction of the wind, it would skim her body like a lovers' caress. Completely sensual, and somehow sophisticated.

Just then Heather reached over and gently closed her mouth as she handed her an understated bouquet of peonies and roses all pinks and white.

"That's the reaction we're expecting from the groom, honey," Heather said with a pleased smile as she looked at her as if she was her big sister.

K couldn't speak as she went numb suddenly with elation and terror. She was suddenly terrified to walk down the aisle to the man that she loved. Her mind was racing faster than Jean could track it.

What if he didn't show up? What if he changed his mind? What if he realized that the  _only_  way she'd ever be pretty enough was if there was a crack team of beautiful mutant women picking out her wardrobe and working their voodoo on her twenty four hours a day? Her knees began to buckle, and Ororo swept over and caught her right before she went down. With a steady hand, she guided her to the bed to sit down.

Jean and Betsy looked at each other then both took a seat on either side of her as they tried to calm her. Betsy looked her squarely in the face before giving her viewpoint of the truth.

"I  _know_ what you're thinking and you're entirely off. If he did not find you irresistible as  _you_ are every day, he certainly would not have asked you to marry him. Do  _not_  doubt me on this. I'm not nearly as ethical as Jean about keeping out of other's heads – and it's far easier to get into his head for  _me_ than for anyone else to."

K turned her head toward her to asses the purple haired ninja as she continued. "You affect each other  _deeply_ , and believe it or not, he is more nervous than you right now. He just has more experience covering it," Betsy told her, rock solid in her conviction.

K took a deep breath. She could find no lie on Betsy's face, though she didn't expect to see one on a telepath anyhow. Suddenly, her magnificent purple head popped up and she crossed the room. K turned to look at Jean as the red head touched her arm but before she could say anything encouraging, Betsy returned, kneeled down in front of the little bride and lifted K's dress.

Her arms went out behind her to keep her balance as Betsy yanked her leg and slipped a garter on her. If the entire action hadn't startled the little feral, how high Betsy moved it up her leg sure as hell did.

K tried to block her hand as she kept moving it impossibly higher. "Woah!  _Jesus_ , Betsy – what the hell?" K started as Betsy smirked up at her from the floor.

"Don't you dare move it. That's for Logan," she grinned. K stared at her a moment and tried to steady her nerves. The feel of the lace on her leg only made it worse as it triggered K into near hyperventilation.

"OK that's it. Rogue, would you go get Remy for a moment? K needs a little help," Jean decided, Rogue didn't waste any time as she zoomed off, only to return with her cajun lover a few minutes later.

" _Mon dieu_. Such a pretty wreck Remy has never seen," Gambit said as he knelt down next to the terrified little woman. He covered her shaking hands with his and smiled warmly as he tried to subtly manipulate her emotions enough to calm her.

The whole room collectively held their breath – if ever there was a case for a runner – it was K.

But Remy knew his manipulation was working when she gave his hand a little squeeze in thanks. "Alright, smooth talker," K said quietly with a shaky voice. "How long before we need to get this show on the road?"

"Right now if you're up to it. They're just waiting on you," Heather smiled back at her.

"Oh,  _that_ helps," K mumbled sarcastically before she took a deep breath. "Alright. Now or Never. Let's do it." She looked more like she was ready to go three rounds with Sabretooth than to give herself to Logan as his wife. All jokes aside, the women didn't understand her reluctance, and she wasn't about to crack open that can of worms for them right there lest it overwhelm her. "What's the worst that could happen?" K whispered as they started to file out of the room.

* * *

"Are you ready for this, because you don't have to go through with it if you changed your mind," Scott told K as he took Her hand. Jean had already clued him in to how nervous the bride was – and Jean was starting to have second thoughts about pushing the little brunette into following through. Scott however, just wanted to find a way to ease the woman's mind.

"Yeah. I think I am. It's just… I was raised at a time when getting married was pretty much domestic slavery. I've avoided it my whole life," K confessed in a rush. "I never stuck around long enough for it to become a real option … but he just was so … fast about this. He swept me up with him."

It was clear she'd taken him off guard, and Scott was suddenly hit with a strong urge to just give her a hug. K let out a little breath and sniffed a little bit. "And, you know, I don't want to make an ass of myself."

Scott smiled as she composed herself again. He could see how she could work so well with Logan – she shifted gears faster than he did. "You're marrying Logan, so, it's too late for me to stop you making an ass of yourself," he teased, which earned him an honest grin. He hesitated before he asked her about where she was raised. His mind went to cults and religious fanatics. He didn't expect for K to laugh like she did when she confessed what until just then only Logan knew.

"I was born in 1907, Scott. Women didn't even get the vote until 1920. My mother expected me to marry up and have a dozen babies by the time I was thirty," K said in a mirthless laugh. "And he's older than I am. I mean,  _come on_. Those Victorian women were well dressed chattel.K went pale as her hands began to shake again.

In a moment of surprising honesty, Scott defended Logan. "He's not like that, K. He'd do anything for you, I know it. He's a lot more modern than you'd give him credit for," Scott said in a firm voice. "Sure he's territorial, but damnit, so am I. That's just how men get when they know they found the right girl."

K was taken off guard by his candid outlook, and she didn't point out that with ferals it had to be a little different. Instead, she smiled genuinely at him as she took his offered arm. "You're wonderful, Scott, thank you."

He couldn't help but smile back at her crookedly before they started toward the gathered group. Both of them had to laugh at the fact that  _Scott_ would be giving her away, and it only served to accent that Logan knew as little about this as K did.

She took a few deep breaths and suddenly she couldn't hear anything but the rushing of blood in her ears. Very fuzzily she could hear Scott urging her to either go down the aisle or run the other way. With a nervous laugh, they stepped out of the cabin and headed towards the clearing in the woods where K could see their extended family gathered, clearly awaiting them. Through the trees, K saw the crowd of their friends, dressed to the nines, and what she believed was her betrothed as he readjusted his tie and stood chatting with Kurt.

She looked up at Scott and nodded. "Okay, my big hero," K said. "Catch me if I pass out, okay?"

Scott grinned at her. "You'll be fine."

* * *

 _Must be time for things to get rollin',_  Logan thought to himself as he spotted the women coming down and finding their seats, all of them looking the part of perfection. They all had the same mona lisa smile in place, and suddenly Logan was nervous.  _What do they know?_  he wondered as he turned to Kurt next to him. Before he could say anything, Mac Hudson broke the silence.

"Wow, Logan. You know how to pick 'em," he said. Logan turned and caught sight of her as K made her appearance in the tall wildflowers at the edge of the forest. Before he spotted her though, he caught her scent on the breeze. The crowd had quieted right after his head snapped up to her direction.

K was looking down, one hand holding up the front of her dress so she wouldn't trip, and her other arm was looped through Scott's, holding a bunch of flowers.

 _What the hell? Whose idea was it for Scooter to give her to me?_  Logan thought, as K's smiling face looked up to Scott, who was laughing with her like they were old friends. He was saying something that kept her moving forward, and Logan was grateful for whatever it was he was telling her. He just took in the scene before finally, their gazes locked, and the laugh fell from her lips, for an instant her nervousness showed as she looked a bit like a deer in headlights before she smiled warmly at him. With no warning, his breath caught in his throat.

 _Logan, breathe,_ Jean prompted as her voice echoed in his head.

He blinked hard a few times and forced air into his lungs. It took him a tremendous amount of control to restrain himself when Scott kissed her cheek and handed her off to him. He reminded himself over and over that he had to keep his hands to himself. For a little while longer anyhow. Once she was next to him, he couldn't tear his gaze from her, and she began to blush a little under his intense gaze. The winds picked up just enough to make the fabric on her dress float a bit. It danced across her hips and fluttered lightly at her breasts. And it was not helping his concentration at all.

Kurt made sure the ceremony was short and sweet and led the gathered friends as they applauded the couple while they kissed. Logan had pulled her tightly to him and was more than ready to claim his bride. He didn't even attempt to keep the kiss PG as he poured himself into it.

When he finally let her up for air, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly while he kissed her neck and held her close. She was smiling broadly in spite of herself and truly enjoyed his lack of self censorship as he showered her with kisses, and gripped her like a drowning man.

When he regained a little control of himself, Kurt gave K and Logan both a hug as he congratulated them. Shortly after, the crowd surrounded them, wishing them well, and K spotted Bill and flat out did a double take before she made her way over to him with a grin.

" _How did you get here_?" she asked as she gave him a huge bear hug. Bill laughed with her but was very careful of where his hands rested after seeing how her new husband had held her so possessively.

"Little bird told me you were getting hitched. Little surprised you didn't tell me yourself. Your friends got me here," Bill told her. "That Summers woman didn't want you marrying' this  _canuck_  without a little backup."

K smiled affectionately at him and caught up with him quickly as Heather kissed a watchful Logan on the cheek. She made a point of telling him how pleased that she and Mac were that he'd finally found someone so right for him.

When the greetings were over, and the little couple started to move on, Jubilee handed K her bouquet back. "You have to throw it," she told her, deadly serious. K huffed, but Chloe and Zoe were next to her, nodding in agreement. K opened her mouth to object when Jean asked the women to gather for the bouquet toss. K looked entirely exasperated and Bill laughed out loud at her, knowing full well how much she disliked some of this kind of thing. Logan urged her to go ahead and she grudgingly chucked it as she rolled her eyes.

Kitty phased to snatch it up with a triumphant shout and the women around her cheered her on good naturedly. K thought she was off her rocker until Betsy blocked her way and told Logan to go after the garter. He laughed and raised an eyebrow at her as K froze. Betsy explained to him that she'd put it on K herself and she expected him to go get it.

"No hands, Logan," Betsy sang as she grinned at K who cursed her in Swedish with a scowl.

 _So that's why she'd put it so high up,_  K thought as she tried to make a stealthy to slip it down lower but Betsy grabbed her hand.

"No cheating either, K. You can't help him with this," Betsy warned as K started to protest while the men began to cheer Logan on. He kissed her, and whispered out a few quick words of encouragement before he dived under her dress. His hands were firmly on her hips as he took his sweet time with a growl. K broke down laughing and cursing while the group cheered him on and K blushed as she struggled to keep him from forcing her legs too far apart.

She laughed with the group as his whiskers tickled her and he nipped at her under cover of the dress. He hadn't even attempted to get the damn garter until he'd thoroughly gotten her irritated.

He shot her a sly smile when he finally emerged and gave it a quick toss as he stood and kissed her. Several men dove for it at the last second into a pile up, with Bobby coming out victorious.

Scott invited the group to join them in celebrating while the newlyweds had a chance to take a moment and regroup. Scott leaned in to Logan to whisper something in his ear that K couldn't quite catch over the thrum of the crowd before the two men grinned at each other and Logan laughed outright. Before she could ask what it was all about though, he was pulling her behind him toward the cabin.

Scott smiled after them and shook his head before he directed the crowd of friends to the party, as they left Logan and K to their devices.


	25. Consummations and Obligations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter ... look for the next story SOON.

Their friends, family and teammates started the party without the little couple. They celebrated in their absence, toasting them while they were hiding away in their cabin. When the couple finally arrived, the women were surprised that K wasn't a total disaster. She'd touched up her makeup and actually looked every bit as lovely as she did for the ceremony. Logan however, looked incredibly rumpled and not the least bit apologetic. His hair was a bit messier in spots. His tie was missing and the top buttons of his untucked shirt were opened. Even so, he was looking somehow, more handsome to several of his lady friends. Of course, it was Heather that figured it out.

"He's smiling. A lot," she said quietly to Kitty, who couldn't put her finger on it until it was pointed out. She was right, he was grinning almost non-stop, and he still couldn't seem to keep his hands off his new wife, at the very least, holding her hand, resting a hand on her lower back or just running a finger down her arm as they cut a path through the crowd. The couple tried to take a moment to see everyone that had traveled so far to attend the ceremony as Jean and Kurt both had warned them to do.

Bobby had the music going and it wasn't long before the group as a whole was dancing. K and Logan were being passed around to various dance partners. K was overly busy having people cut in – with many of them introducing themselves as they did so. At one point, she didn't realize she was dancing with Stark until he spoke a few turns into the dance.

"So, you not only dance, but you clean up incredibly well," he said appraisingly as he shamelessly gave her a once over. She couldn't help but grin on realizing who she was dancing with. "What gives? Didn't Logan take the chance to ravage you while no one was looking?"

"Yeah, we took off for a few hours to play  _Scrabble_ ," K countered. "Come on, Tony. Get real. But I guess I'll just take that as some kind of a complement in how well I can keep my dress in one piece? Or should I be insulted?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"No, no, complement is just fine. Congratulations by the way, I suppose," he mumbled.

"You're doing it again, Tony," she said, with a teasing tone to her voice. It was probably the first time she'd called him by his first name and it took him off guard.

"What?" he asked, though if the question was for what she meant or her familiar phrasing, even Tony didn't know.

"You can be perfectly charming until you talk and ruin it. Just be quiet and spin me," she said with a little smile.

"You know, if it weren't for the fact that you  _just_  married the most dangerous mutant on the planet, I might just think you were flirting with me," he smirked.

"In your dreams, pal," she replied, her smile now replaced with a teasing smirk.

He opted to follow her advice and simply shut his mouth. After that, he surprised her with both his gentlemanly presence and his skill on the floor. He was, for once, quite well behaved and when his dance was up, he kissed her hand and graciously handed her off to Steve as a slow song started up.

It seemed as though she'd be dancing her way through the Avengers. Steve had pulled her closely to him for the song as she spotted Logan across the floor, with some curvy redhead that Steve pointed out to her as Natasha, the Black Widow. K frowned a bit as she considered the way the spy was looking at her. "I don't believe she likes me much," K muttered, though Steve laughed that off almost immediately as the two women carefully watched each other across the dance floor.

Stark had found Scott and the two of them were talking briefly before both of them looked to K, serious expressions on their faces before Scott shook his head and she clearly heard him tell Stark to forget it. K's buzz from Logan started to wear off suddenly. They looked so serious. None of it could be a good sign. Steve dipped her at the end of the song, which earned a smile from her before Logan cut in front of a massive long haired blonde man to kiss her palm as he pulled her from Steve.

"Maybe next time around, bub. She's all mine for this one," he said over his shoulder to the blonde, who smirked and stepped back as Logan kissed his new wife. "Looks like there may be trouble brewin'," he whispered low.

"Not sure what the story is, but they don't want to interrupt," Logan told her as he kissed her behind the ear.

"Well, they can. As long as they don't get you killed, I can probably find a way to wait for an extended love fest," she told him as she tried to be sensible. She didn't want him to change his life just because they were married. Of course, she really didn't know what it meant for her, and how  _she_ would go about  _her_ business, but she felt like it would work out as long as they stuck together.

He moved away from her neck just long enough to kiss her properly. "Well maybe  _I_  don't wanna wait," he said. "Maybe I wanna start right now." He let one hand slide up to cradle her head with the other was at the small of her back as he started to drift away from publicly acceptable behavior.

He didn't stop what he was doing when her knees started to buckle. He just made sure to support her better as she wrapped her arms around him and whispered in his ear. "Control yourself," she muttered, but that only earned her a growl and a nip.

He maneuvered her to a dark corner before he picked her up and set her on a table so they could get a little more involved, but that was quickly interrupted before it could truly start up.

Scott cleared his throat as he looked at the ground. He felt awful even thinking about bothering them right then.

"Go 'way Slim," Logan said between nips and kisses, his back to him. K's eyes fluttered as she tried to pull Logan back a bit on seeing the look on Scott's face. She could see he wasn't trying to be a jackass.

"Might be important-" K started to say before Logan interrupted her with a kiss.

"Nothing I'd love to do more than go away right now," Scott breathed out as he turned to Stark, who was smirking over their mutual teammate's rejection of anything outside of the attention of his new wife.

The two team leaders were soon joined by Hank, Steve, and the bulky blonde, who was the one to try to capture Logan's attention this time.

"My friend, we must have words now. Your woman will wait for you," he said, but Logan still ignored them. K opened an eye, and managed to look up at them over Logan's shoulder as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck, hoping they'd just … go away.

"Mr. Howlett, this looks important," K said in a purring tone that sent a shiver up his spine.

"What I'm doin' now is important, Mrs. Howlett," he growled out in return before he moved into another, more involved kiss.

"I'd hit him with some lightning if it wouldn't hit the girl," the blonde teased as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

But K's eyes popped open at the casual threat. "What did you just say?" she asked in a dangerous tone as she pulled back from the kiss and Logan growled at her.

The blonde locked eyes with her and repeated himself more clearly with a teasing sparkle in his eyes. She was looking at him with her eyebrows drawn together, ready to fight. Logan had to smile against the skin at her neck from her protectiveness of him, though he finally loosened his grip and sighed as he composed himself.

Stark took it on himself to introduce them, seeing as Logan was still gathering himself. "Be kind, K. This big guy is a God to some," Stark informed her.

She rolled her eyes, it sounded like bull to her. "Didn't know you worshipped  _all_ blondes, Mr. Stark," K drawled out, getting a little snicker from Logan and Steve.

"No, really. That's Thor. Norse God of thunder?" Tony explained, shaking his head at her. "Don't you know who's in the Avengers at  _all_?"

K's eyebrows went up as she tipped her head to look Logan in the eye. "You roll with Gods?" she asked, disbelief on her face.

Logan shrugged and looked entirely casual about it. "Just the one," he said. "And I haven't been to poker night in a little while."

"And you  _neglected_  to tell my little Scandinavian ass ….  _why_ , exactly?" K asked as Thor smiled.

"Didn't think it mattered. Now I'm not sure I want ya around him," Logan growled out with a false frown. "You're not into worshiping the Norse crew are ya?" he asked as he gave her a look.

"Well, I could… " K teased before she smiled and kissed her new husband, deftly avoiding the question as her hands slid into his hair on either side of his face.

Thor cleared his throat, and Logan broke the kiss even as one hand slid around her waist. "Goddamnit," he growled out before he finally looked over his shoulder at the growing group of his team mates. Only Hank was grinning at him, and Scott was resolutely staring at the ground with his hands in his pockets. The rest looked equal parts entertained and irritated. that he'd ignored them for so long.

"Don't know if you heard, but I just got  _married_. You don't have my attention or my loyalty right now. Leave me alone, I'm busy," Logan informed them as he tried not to growl too loudly.

"All due respect, Logan, but it's not just you we need to talk to," Steve told him with his hands in his pockets as he shrugged. "Believe me. We'd rather not bother the two of you at all, but you know how this job works."

Logan growled at him and slid his hand back to her hip. K took a deep breath and untangled herself from him. She smoothed out her dress as she slid off the table he'd set her on. But Logan put his hands behind him when he turned to face them, trapping her there as he held onto the edge of the table.

"We're not going to take her, Logan," Steve said as he watched his old friend as he tensed up.

"What is it you want?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowed. "What's so flamin' important?"

"What else? Hydra infiltration. Now or never, save the world kind of issue. Believe me,  _no one_ here wanted to interrupt your sexy time," Stark said quickly, though he looked nervous as he watched Logan.

The gruff little feral nodded his head once in understanding. "How long's this gonna take?" Logan asked as K's arms slipped around his chest and she rested her chin on his shoulder, peeking over at the semi circle of heroes.

"Maybe a week – at most. We hope," Steve replied as he waited for a response.

It took Logan a minute before he sighed and nodded his head. "Okay, so … What else, Cap?" Logan asked gruffly. "You said you needed to talk to both of us. What else."

Cap's eyes flicked to K just for a second before he met Logan's stare. "We need to ask K if she can help too. It's nothing in the line of fire, I swear," Cap promised, his hands up as he tried to look passive.

"With.  _What_." The growl was unmistakable.

"There's a threat to Avengers tower. We need her to stick with Stark for a week or so while we hunt down the source of the threat and Tony finds the leak," Cap explained but Logan was already shaking his head no. "Logan,  _wait_. His armor isn't functioning properly and Hydra  _knows_  who his bodyguards are. We need someone that can go undercover with him, posing as a secretary or someone that he keeps close until he can fix the problems that are affecting his armor and get Jarvis tuned to scan for poisons."

"And you thought of her first?" Logan said in total disbelief, ready to start the fight.

Thor stepped in front of Stark.

"They know who everyone else is, Logan. She's an unknown asset," Cap said, trying to calm him, but his phrasing left something to be desired.

"She ain't an  _asset_ , she's my  _wife_ , Cap. I don't want her any where near that," Logan replied.

K simply watched the exchange like a tennis match from behind her bristled up bodyguard as the two argued back and forth until Scott stepped in. "Logan, why don't you leave it to her to decide?" Scott said reasonably. "Give her the facts, and let her choose."

"What's to choose? Scott, we need a new person on this. You can't -" Steve started but Scott held up his hand as he cut him off.

"You can't just point her at what you want done and expect her to do what you say.  _It's her choice_ if she wants to help. You're talking to Logan like she's his property. She's a smart, capable woman, let her choose for herself," Scott said. He left both the Avengers and K a bit wordless.

Steve sighed and turned to K. "Of course. K, we need help." He paused and gave her a wan smile. "Stark's armor hasn't been functioning right and on top of it, Jarvis is compromised. But he hasn't been able to figure out how it happened, or how to stop it. As a direct result, Avengers tower and Stark are basically unprotected and there are Hydra Agents that have been trying to take him out – or capture him. Again, we're not sure to what end outside of the obvious - weaponry and computer work. The aggression level is picking up. He's lost three bodyguards in the past week alone, and there are too many things coming to a head elsewhere to keep him with another Avenger. We need viable, trustworthy manpower. His schedule for his businesses is too crammed with appearances for his company that we can't have him just blow off his schedule either. Even with Pepper covering a good part of it, it can't be done."

Cap paused and glanced at Logan before he took a deep breath and continued. "We have it from a good source that Madame Hydra is personally involved and is now in the states. We'd ask a junior SHIELD agent, but honestly, we need someone that can sniff out poison and toxins. So. Mrs. Howlett," Cap said, pausing with the tiniest smile at her title. "Can you help us?"

"Wait, Vipers' involved?" Logan said with a growl, stepping to the side to block K from anyone looking at her. " _No_. No goddamned way, forget it. Assign me to Stark if you have to. I'll hound dog it for him. That witch can't get anywhere near her. You lost three body guards.  _Three damn body guards_ and you're tryin ta tell me she won't be in the line of fire?"

"Logan, your issues with Viper notwithstanding, you're needed elsewhere," Hank interjected.

"Why not one of Thor's lackeys?" Logan asked, gesturing to the blonde thunder God. "Doesn't he have some misfit band of lunatics that can follow him around?"

"Sif is not immune to poisons, friend," Thor said quietly.

"Neither is K. What about one of yer other buddies then? Gotta be someone else," Logan grumbled. He was bound and determined to keep K safe with the X-Men, though he seemed to relax slightly as she again wrapped her arms around him from just behind him, trying to get him to hear them out.

"Logan, I hate to even say it, but if K doesn't do the job for Stark, she'll probably end up taking your place on a mission or two in your absence anyhow," Scott said as Logan tensed again. "She's not going to end up staying home waiting for you."

With a growl, Logan turned to his new wife with concern etched onto his features and wrapped his arms around her to lean in close for a more private chat, his voice dropping low enough that only she could hear him. "I don't want you in the line of fire, darlin', and I sure as hell don't want you anywhere near Viper. She's  _trouble_ ," he whispered miserably.

K leaned forward and kissed him in an attempt to get him to relax. "They're only asking me because I can do what you do, and they need you more somewhere else," she replied every bit as quiet as he'd been. "I know how to go undercover. I'll be  _fine_. I'm not going to let anything happen." She gave him a warm smile and another slightly extended kiss, then broke their position to face Cap with Logan standing just behind her, his arms around her waist.

"You guys are talking Greek. Who the hell are these people and what makes this Viper broad such a big problem?" K asked as Logan pulled her a little closer. He was incredibly reluctant to let his hands drift away from her and she couldn't help but smile as she realized how much he just wanted to keep physical contact.

"Short version, Hydra are the bad guys. We've been fighting them since the great war," Cap said.

"Yeah, I knew that, oddly enough," K replied with an irritated tone. "Can't hide your newsreel past, Cap."

Steve tipped his head down and peeked up at her as he shook his head. "No, I guess not."

"And Viper the leader of Hydra," Tony supplied. "She also is Logan's ex-wife." K froze on hearing it. With all of their long and extended chats, the ex-wife somehow never came up. "And,  _obviously_ , she's super evil and likes to poison well, anyone she can."

"Obviously," K said in an airy tone as she was still processing the fact that Logan had neglected to disclose that he was once  _married_ and to the head of Hydra, no less. She stared at Logan a moment as she locked her jaw. This was definitely not something she wanted to find out about  _after_ the ceremony.

"What would I have to do?" K asked as her gaze locked back onto Cap.

"Pose as one of Stark's associates," Cap replied looking hopeful that they'd captured her attention.

" _What_  associate. If there's not an opening in the organization, what is my cover. You keep skipping that part and honestly, I kind of  _need_ to know before I agree," K said, her patience slipping quickly since hearing about Viper. Cap sighed and Stark took a step back. She watched the movement and tipped her head to the side, hoping he wasn't going to say what she just  _knew_ he was going to say.

"His … um … his lady friend," Cap mumbled as he stared at the ground.

K froze, her eyes narrowed to slits as she glared from one Avenger to the next and Logan started to growl. K's hand slid off of his and he rested his hand on her hip. She swatted at him, but he didn't remove it.

"Let me get this straight, because I don't want to misconstrue," K started, her tone dangerous to even those that didn't know her yet. "You want me to leave  _my honeymoon_  to protect Stark, while posing as his lover?" She took a step forward as Logan slipped his arm around her waist and held her tightly to him in a move so fast that the others didn't see it as she tried to spring at them with her claws flying out of her hands " _Are you out of your damn mind?!_ " She was flat out snarling as Cap stepped back just out of range of her claws and she took a swipe at him, slicing his tie and cutting his jacket.

"Easy with the claws!" Steve shouted as Logan slipped his other arm around her chest and over her arms to hold her arms to her body until she calmed down enough to retract the claws, still fuming at them.

Logan however nearly had a smile on his face, entertained as he watched her ready to eviscerate one of his oldest pals for daring to suggest  _that_ for a cover story. He leaned forward and nuzzled his nose into her hair as she tried to shrug her shoulder up enough that he couldn't get to her neck.

"Knock it off, I don't want your kisses right now," she muttered. Logan wasn't exactly surprised by her reaction though when he let her arms up, he didn't release her.

She closed her eyes and held her hands up to them, her palms out while she took a moment to breathe and clear her head. "When do you need Logan to leave?" she asked with her eyes closed.

"Unfortunately, the sooner we can get moving, the better," Stark said as the sounds of the party drifted over to them in the silence of the corner they were hiding in.

"Give me at least a week," K said as she opened her eyes. "One week with no contact from  _any_ of you. I expect to be left alone, with my  _husband_  for at least that long. Then after that time, if  _he_ decides to go on this mission with you, I'll go with Stark," K promised as she locked gazes with each of them in turn, her expression deadly serious. Logan looked incredibly unhappy at her tentative acceptance of Cap's mission. "But if that isn't acceptable – if that's not  _soon_ enough, then too damn bad. I just won't  _let_ him go." That however, got a smile from Logan.

"A week isn't going to be soon enough," Cap said with a panicked look on his face.

"Well, then I guess you can just fuck right off," K said as she crossed her arms. "I have a marriage to consummate, and already you people are trying to get in the middle of that. One week, and I will let him go play with you. Not a moment sooner. And I expect him to come back in the same  _good_ condition that he left, or so help me God, I will stab every frikin' one of you in the eye," K promised with a wickedly low growl accenting her offer.

Cap let out a sound of pure disbelief as he looked from K's challenging glare, to Logan's amused smile as he leaned forward to kiss her behind the ear, then reluctantly nodded his agreement, though he looked shell shocked. He'd never expected the aggressive territorial threat from the little woman.

"Wonderful. Now, if you  _gentlemen_ don't mind, my husband and I have to see how far we can push our abilities," K said with anger still lacing her tone before she turned to Scott.

"Please be sure to thank Heather and Jean for everything they did for us. I'd prefer to do it myself, but apparently, I'm on a clock," K said, her tone entirely cordial when she was talking to Scott.

"No problem," he said with a growing smirk. "It was our pleasure."

"So you helped too?" Logan asked, frowning.

"Technically, Jean was banned," Scott said, smiling crookedly. "So … I might have thrown in my two cents here and there."

"You're wonderful, Scott," K said with a genuine smile his way. "Thank you. But if you don't mind - make sure we aren't disturbed."

Thor grabbed Logan's arm as he led K past them. "Congratulations my friend. Though you may want to be careful with her," he told him with a grin, though it was clear that he was enjoying Logan's fiery little bride.

"Careful nothin' we got a week to fit in a months' worth of celebrations," he half laughed with a smirk before he tossed K over his shoulder, finally getting a smile from her as he broke into a run. He carried her to their rustic little love nest as she laughed most of the way.

The group stared after them a moment as Tony reiterated that there was simply no justice in the world anymore.

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ooooOOOOOoooo

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_Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed it. The second bit of this story is currently under renovation and the first chapter went up alongside this one. So if you want to keep reading, please, go check out 'Natural Feral Behaviors'._


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